We are proud to announce that we are a part of the Ministry of Justice’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, which provides parties with a funded mediation session. The scheme is only available for a limited time and can only be used in cases where agreements need to be made about child arrangements.
Family Mediators can only participate in the family mediation voucher scheme if they are accredited by the Family Mediation Council.
To find out if you are eligible for the family mediation voucher scheme, please book your MIAM.
How our Family Mediators can help you
Are you and your ex-partner struggling to agree on splitting your finances or making arrangements for the children and are based in Birmingham?
You may wish to consider using Access Mediation Services’ Family Mediation Birmingham as a way of reaching an agreement.
Our Birmingham family mediators are here to support you in effectively conversing with the other party, with the interest of all parties, including children, where applicable.
Experienced Mediators
Our family mediators have years of experience mediating challenging situations between parties. On top of this, our family mediators also keep up to date with relevant legislation and law changes and exceed the minimum expectation for continuing professional development.
There for you every step of the way
Our team work hard behind the scenes to ensure you have the support you need throughout the mediation process. We have a quick response and completion time with agreements being reached in child arrangements, assets and finances. Family mediation Birmingham can resolve your disagreements in a quarter of the time compared to other alternative dispute resolution services.
Mutual agreements
With the help of our Birmingham family mediators, you and the other party can agree on an agreement that works for everyone. This helps everyone to know where they are and minimises the potential for future conflict.
What is included in our family mediation service in Birmingham:
A point of contact throughout the whole mediation process
Relevant information from the mediator to help you and your case
Free mediation session summaries after mediation sessions where applicable
A guide before attending a mediation session
If there is no location above which is near to you, please contact us as we provide online family mediation nationally and face to face family mediation in Worcestershire.
Step 1
Book a free consultation
Step 2
Book in your mediation information assessment meeting
Step 3
If appropriate the mediator will invite the other party or provide a MIAM Certificate
I found the service really professional and fair. I was really impressed with the really very objective way the mediator conducted himself and the relevant advice given. I can highly recommend this service.
– Phillip P.
We recently used AMS and they were brilliant. The mediator always made everything clear and easy to understand. They worked hard to fit in with our schedule and when half way through we needed the documents drafted quicker than expected they really stepped up and got it all completed in record time. I cant thank you enough for your professional, friendly and efficient service, at such a difficult and stressful time.
– Emma D.
We have the following family mediation centres in the west midlands:
Family Mediation Centre Malvern, Evesham & Pershore
Family Mediation Centre Bromsgrove, Redditch & Kidderminster
Family Mediation Centre Worcester
If there is no location above which is near to you, please contact us as we provide online family mediation nationally and face to face family mediation in Worcestershire.
How to find our Birmingham family mediation service
Please note you will not be able to enter the office unless you have an appointment.
Birmingham Mediation Centre Address: We rent office space from The Warehouse to see clients locally. The Warehouse’s address is 54-57 Allison Street, Birmingham, B5 5TH. If you need to contact us regarding your meeting appointment or any other related issue, our telephone number is 0121 758 9118.
On Foot: Access Mediation Services Mediation is approximately 0.5 miles from Birmingham New Street Train Station. From New Street turn right onto Stephenson Street and right again onto Stephenson Place. Take the first right and then take the stairs. Then turn left onto the path and walk down the stairs to the right. Turn right into Moor Street Queensway and then bear left onto Moor Street. Turn left onto Park Street and then turn right onto Shaw’s Passage. After 130 years turn left into Allison Street and we are number 54-57 on your left.
Parking: There are multiple carparks located to the centre including Well Lane Car Park 6 Well Lane B5 5TE, and the Brolly Works, 78 Allison Street. These carparks are chargeable.
Same-day MIAMs available
We can provide same day MIAMs which can be really beneficial when you need to book in quickly. To access a same day MIAM you will need to call us on the day on 0121 758 9118. We only have a limited number of spaces for same day MIAMs which fill up very quickly.
Same day MIAMs are there for those who have tight work commitments, family commitments urgent issues, or you require an urgent MIAM Certificate.
Questions our clients have about our family mediation service in Birmingham
Why should I attend mediation?
There are many advantages to using our Birmingham Mediation Service.
Mediation gives parties more of a say about what happens regarding their finances and or children. Other processes that help with divorce and separation can limit your choice in coming to an agreement, e.g. the court process as the judge makes the decisions.
Less stress and less cost are benefits of using a family mediator. Trying to arrange your finances in court could cost you up to a maximum of £15,000. If you are trying to reach agreements about your children, this could cost you a maximum of £25,000. If you have child arrangements and finances to sort out, it could cost you up to £40,000. Mediation is a fraction of this cost.
Family mediation supports communication between you and your ex-partner. You have to be able to attend sessions with an open mind to discuss the options between you both. It also helps participants to look at why communication may have failed thus far and helps to set steps to get the communication back to an amicable state. This is also an excellent benefit for the children as it is much healthier for them to see two parents communicating well than two angry and shouting at each other.
What if I need to make changes to the agreement in the future?
Unlike the courts, family mediation can alter agreements quite easily when circumstances change. For example, if you attend mediation when the children are 5, you may need to attend again when they are 12 as the arrangements you had previously made may no longer work for the children.
How long does mediation take?
Mediation can take anywhere from a couple of weeks, to a few months to a year. It depends on how you and your ex-partner work together in joint mediation sessions. This is very quick compared to court and will enable you and your ex-partner to move on with your life sooner.
What if I disagree with the end agreement?
A benefit which is often not seen is that agreements can only be made with the agreement of both parties involved. Your ex-partner can not demand you to do things or for you to let them have the children unless you agree and vice versa. This means that you reach a mutual agreement rather than an agreement where one party is ‘giving in’ to the other party for an easier life. Arrangements made in mediation must work for both you and your ex-partner and, most importantly, where children are involved, the children.
How does mediation work?
When you engage in our mediation service in Birmingham, the first step is for you to attend a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting. The court usually requires this meeting before you make a court application for either finances or child arrangements.
In this meeting, the mediator will ask you why you want to come to mediation, details about your relationship with your ex-partner and or your children, and the outcome you would like.
The role of the MIAM is also for the mediator to assess whether your case is suitable for mediation, as not all cases are suitable and alternative processes should be engaged.
The family mediator will then contact your ex-partner and invite them to a MIAM. If they refuse to attend, you can ask the mediator to sign a MIAM Certificate to allow you to apply to the court. If they accept and attend their MIAM, the joint sessions can go ahead.
The aim of the joint sessions is for both you and your ex-partner to make a mutual decision about topics you are currently in disagreement about. This is usually about one parent seeing the children more or less, child maintenance and finances, including the marital or shared home, division of pensions, debt, and savings/investments.
Once you and your ex-partner have reached an agreement, the mediator will write these into a document called a Memorandum of Understanding or a Parenting Plan.
What is the role of the family mediator?
The role of the family mediator is that of a facilitative nature. They are there to facilitate the conversation between you and your ex-partner, keep the mediation’s focus on the topics at hand, and ensure that everyone involved has an equal say.
Mediators are non-judgemental and impartial and cannot give legal advice.
Accredited Family Mediators
All of our family mediators have completed family mediation specialism training. Mediators are trained in family conflict, child development, certain aspects of family law and family courts, and the disclosure process around finances. They are also registered with The College of Mediators and The Family Mediation Council.
To find out more about our Birmingham family mediation service please call us on 0121 758 9118.