Family mediator for separating couples

Separating couples paying privately, and sometimes clients eligible for legal aid if you hold the right contract.

An hourly or per-session fee, usually shared between both partners, plus an initial assessment meeting fee.

• Calm and impartial under pressure
• Excellent listening and questioning
• Patience with emotional situations
• Clear written summaries of agreements

• Check what accreditation you need to carry out the assessment meetings courts expect, this takes training and supervised practice, so expect it to take many months
• Professional indemnity insurance is normally expected, check with a broker or your professional body
• Legal aid mediation needs a contract or working with a provider that has one, check the current rules
• Mediators must screen for safety concerns such as domestic abuse, make sure you are trained to do this
• Mediators do not give legal advice, clients may need to see a solicitor separately
• Data protection duties apply to the sensitive information you hold, check ICO registration

Startup costs are estimated at typically around £3,000 to £8,000, depending on your training route, insurance and setup. Professional indemnity insurance is normally expected, so check with a broker or your professional body.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around £500 to £4,500, depending on how many clients you see and whether you work privately. Legal aid mediation needs a contract or a provider that has one, so check the current rules.

Check what accreditation you need to carry out the assessment meetings courts expect. It takes training and supervised practice, so expect many months. Also check you are trained to screen for safety concerns such as domestic abuse, and ICO registration.