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London Mediation Service, in its own words a partner branch of Mediate UK, is the first choice for most London cases, with appointment locations at Waterloo, St Pancras and Sutton and online appointments open to people in any borough. South East London Family Mediation Bureau, registered charity 1067128, is the longest-established London provider and the strongest legal aid option in the south east. Family Law in Partnership suits complex finances. This guide is for Londoners choosing where to attend a MIAM or a joint session.
London is the one part of England where choosing on location genuinely matters, because an appointment that requires crossing the city at rush hour is one people cancel.
| Provider | London locations | MIAM price | Legal aid | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Mediation Service, a partner branch of Mediate UK | Waterloo, St Pancras, Sutton, plus online across all boroughs | £115 plus VAT online, £180 plus VAT central London, published by Mediate UK | Not yet, expected | Online appointments across all boroughs |
| South East London Family Mediation Bureau | Bromley | £100 per person | Yes | South east London and Kent |
| Family Law in Partnership | Savoy Hill, WC2R | Published rates vary, up to £675 per hour plus VAT per couple | No | Complex finances |
| National Family Mediation | Member services across London | Varies by member service | Yes | Charity provider |
| The Divorce Surgery | New Street Square, EC4A | No MIAM offered, joint advice from £6,270 | No | Joint legal advice, not mediation |
London Mediation Service describes itself as a partner branch of Mediate UK. Mediate UK is a trading name of Family Legal Ltd, company number 16431127, has operated since 2011, and states that its mediators are registered with the Family Mediation Council, a mediator-level registration.
London Mediation Service publishes three appointment locations and no borough-by-borough coverage list.
Anyone outside easy reach of those three can be seen online, and online appointments are open to people in any London borough. Appointments are by booking rather than walk-in.
Mediate UK publishes the prices that apply to a London Mediation Service booking: £115 plus VAT for an online MIAM, £180 plus VAT for a face-to-face MIAM in central London, £120 per person per hour plus VAT for online joint sessions of 90 minutes, and £199 per parent plus VAT for child-inclusive mediation. An urgent MIAM costs £185 plus VAT, booked within 48 hours, with the court form signed and sent within 24 hours of the appointment.
Mediate UK holds a Legal Aid Agency contract and applies for the £500 voucher on the client's behalf where a case qualifies. The two entities differ on funding: London Mediation Service states that Mediate UK will soon be offering legal aid, so legal aid is not yet available on a London Mediation Service booking. Mediate UK holds over 715 reviews rated 4.8 out of 5 on reviews.co.uk, according to its published review profile checked in August 2026, and states on its own website that it has helped more than 23,000 people since 2011.
South East London Family Mediation Bureau is a registered charity, number 1067128, at 19 East Street in Bromley, founded in 1979. In its own words, it was the second family mediation service established in the UK.
It holds a Legal Aid Agency contract, so mediation is free for clients who qualify on means, and charges £100 per person for a MIAM otherwise. It offers video and face-to-face appointments including Saturdays from 9am to 3pm, provides child-inclusive mediation, and covers Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham, Bexley, Southwark and Kent.
Family Law in Partnership is a solicitor-led practice at Savoy Hill House, WC2R 0BU, company number 08518635. It lists eight named mediators and reports Legal 500 Tier 1 rankings for family mediation from 2018 to 2025, self-reported. It holds no legal aid contract.
Family Law in Partnership publishes hourly mediation rates on more than one page, the highest at £675 per hour plus VAT per couple, so the rate should be confirmed before instructing. It offers hybrid mediation, in which each person can have their own solicitor present or on call. Where there are business interests, trusts, international assets or substantial pensions, that structure lets legal advice sit alongside the mediation.
National Family Mediation is a registered charity, number 1074796, based in Exeter and delivering mediation through local member services. It states on its own website that it handles roughly 16,000 mediations a year, a self-reported figure, and dates its founding to 1982, the founding of a predecessor charity, while the current entity was incorporated on 26 February 1999. It holds a Legal Aid Agency contract.
London coverage is through member services rather than centrally run offices, so prices and availability vary by area and should be confirmed at booking.
The Divorce Surgery is a barrister-led service at 3 New Street Square, EC4A 3BF, offering one couple, one lawyer joint advice. Its fees start at £6,270, with a £500 Start Together session as an entry point, and it holds no legal aid contract.
This is not family mediation and The Divorce Surgery does not provide MIAMs. It appears here because London couples often consider it alongside mediation, and the distinction matters: anyone who may need a MIAM certificate needs a mediator on the Family Mediation Council register.
Where mediation does not produce agreement, a London case is issued at one of these courts.
Under the Ministry of Justice fee order SI 2026/642, in force since 13 July 2026, the court fee on form C100 is £270, the fee on form A is £321, and the fee to file a divorce application is £628. Mediate UK reports that 67.5% of its MIAM clients in 2025 did not go on to request a signed court form.
Among the providers named here, a central London face-to-face MIAM costs £180 plus VAT against £115 plus VAT online, and £100 per person at the charity end. Solicitor-led mediation is the most expensive tier, with published rates that vary by page and reach £675 per hour plus VAT per couple.
Legal aid removes the cost entirely for anyone who qualifies on means. According to gov.uk and the Legal Aid Agency Family Mediation Guidance Manual version 6, it is means tested only, with no domestic abuse requirement. Keycard 62, effective 6 April 2026, sets limits of £2,657 gross monthly income, £733 disposable monthly income and £8,000 disposable capital.
The Family Mediation Council publishes a public register, and three checks settle most questions.
A provider that names no mediator, or whose named mediator is not on the register, cannot issue a MIAM certificate, whatever the homepage says.
This article is based on the law of England and Wales. Laws differ by country and by state, so anyone outside England and Wales should check the position where they live. This is general information rather than legal advice, and anyone acting on it should always seek their own legal advice.
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