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Family Mediation in Surrey
You don't have to live near Guildford to use a Guildford mediator. Most Surrey cases now run over video, with the option to come in when it matters.
Online first, across the county
Surrey is small on a map and slow in a car. Between the M25, the A3 and the school run, a 6pm appointment twenty miles away can cost you two hours you don't have — which is why video is the default here rather than the fallback.
Each of you joins from wherever you are. If you'd rather not see each other, I put you in separate virtual rooms and move between them, exactly as I would with two rooms in one building.
Everything that would happen in a room still happens: the same MIAM, the same structured sessions, the same written outcome at the end.
Where you are, and how we'd usually work
A rough guide, not a rule — you can always choose to travel, and plenty of people do.
| Where you are | How it usually works |
|---|---|
| Guildford, Godalming, Cranleigh Close to the meeting room | Usually in person throughout. See the Guildford page for the room and parking. |
| Woking, Farnham, Haslemere, Dorking Half an hour or so out | Often a MIAM in person, then joint sessions online to avoid repeated evening trips. |
| Epsom, Leatherhead, Reigate, Redhill North and east Surrey | Normally online start to finish. In-person sessions available if you'd rather make the trip. |
| Staines, Camberley, Esher, Weybridge M25 and Thames side | Online, with evening slots so you're not fighting the motorway both ways. |
| One of you has left the county Or the country | Online works regardless of distance. Time zones can be accommodated — just say when you enquire. |
If a court application is already in the picture
Before you can apply for a child arrangements or financial order, the court expects you to have attended a MIAM unless an exemption applies — for example where there has been domestic abuse. That requirement is national, so it applies wherever in Surrey you live.
Family cases in this part of Surrey are generally heard at [CONFIRM: name the Family Court that covers the client's area — do not assert this until verified]. Which building your application lands in doesn't change the mediation itself, and a MIAM attended from your sofa counts exactly the same as one attended in person.
On signing the court form. [CONFIRM: only an FMC-registered mediator can sign the MIAM certificate for forms C100 and A. This section must be reworded to match Lucy's current registration status before publishing — see LAUNCH-CHECKLIST.md.]
More detail on what the meeting involves is on the MIAM page.
What it costs, against the alternative
Through mediation
A MIAM each at £60, then a handful of joint sessions and a written agreement at the end. Most cases finish inside a couple of months, and you split the cost between you rather than each funding a separate professional.
Full fees are on the pricing page.
Through the courts
A contested case runs to five figures per person and commonly takes a year or more, with each side paying their own solicitor to write letters to the other. The decision at the end is made by a judge who has met your family for a few hours.
Mediation doesn't work for everyone, and where it isn't safe or suitable I'll tell you so. But it's worth knowing the gap before committing to the longer route.
Family Mediation Voucher Scheme. You may be able to claim up to £500 towards the cost of mediation about children. [CONFIRM: check the scheme is still open and that Lucy's authorisation to issue vouchers is in place before publishing this paragraph — see LAUNCH-CHECKLIST.md.]
Prefer to meet in person?
If you're within reach of Guildford and would rather sit down at a table, the Guildford page covers the meeting room, the towns nearby and how to get there.
If you or a child are in immediate danger, call 999.
Mediation is not a safe route where there is ongoing abuse. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247 — free, confidential, 24 hours a day.
Book a MIAM from anywhere in Surrey
Send me a note about your situation and I'll reply within one working day with times — including evenings. Online, or in person in Guildford if you'd prefer.
Get in touch