If you are in dispute with your ex, or are having difficulties settling your separation, you may be thinking about court proceedings, and may have heard you need to attend a MIAM.
MIAM stands for Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, and is sometimes known as a MIAM meeting, or MIAM programme.
Before an application can be made to court, you are required to attend a MIAM. The aim of a MIAM is to see if mediation could be used to resolve your difficulties, rather than going to court.
The MIAM is a meeting between you and a mediator to find out if there are alternative ways to find solutions to your problems.
In the MIAM the mediator will explain to you:
- what your options might be.
- what mediation is, and how it works.
- the benefits of mediation and other appropriate forms of resolving disputes.
- the likely costs of using mediation.
- if you are eligible for free mediation and Legal Aid.
The MIAM can be between the mediator and just you, or with your ex-partner too.