Independent mediator working from home

Individuals and families, small businesses, landlords and tenants, and organisations that refer clients to you, such as solicitors, housing providers or employers.

A fixed fee or hourly rate per case or session, usually split between the parties. Some referrers pay a set fee per case.

• Calm, neutral and good at listening
• Clear speaking and writing
• Handling emotional conversations fairly
• Organised case and diary management

• Professional indemnity and public liability insurance, check what cover you need
• Family mediation that involves public funding or court applications usually has extra training and accreditation requirements, check before offering it
• Keeping client information confidential and following data protection rules, including registering with the ICO if required
• Check whether your landlord, mortgage lender or council needs to agree to you working from home
• Cases can be slow to build, so referrals may take months to arrive

Startup costs are typically around £1,000 to £5,000, depending on your training, insurance and how you set up for online or hired-room sessions. These are estimates, so check what cover and training you need before budgeting.

Monthly revenue is typically around £300 to £3,000, depending on your caseload and the referrals you attract. Cases can be slow to build, so referrals may take months to arrive, and this is revenue rather than profit.

Check the professional indemnity and public liability cover you need, and extra training and accreditation if you want family mediation involving public funding or court applications. Also check confidentiality, data protection and ICO registration, and whether your landlord or lender must agree.