Family mediation doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how you can secure legal aid for family mediation, particularly for child arrangements like access, contact, residence, or child maintenance disputes.
1. Low Income
If you’re in receipt of Universal Credit and have received a payment in the last 30 days, you automatically qualify for the income element of legal aid for family mediation. Other benefits may also qualify you automatically. Note that there’s also a capital test: if you don’t own property worth more than about £100,000, you should qualify for legal aid.
2. Low Earnings
Even if you’re not receiving Universal Credit but have a low income, you might still be eligible for legal aid. At Family Mediation Services, we only need to see your bank statements to assess your eligibility. Typically, if you earn around £23,000 per year and have significant expenses like rent, you will likely qualify for legal aid.
3. Evidence of Income
To prove your eligibility, you’ll need to provide:
- Your most recent Universal Credit statement if you receive benefits.
- Bank statements for the past two to three months for all your accounts if you are employed.
4. Signature for Legal Aid
You’ll need to complete a CIVMEANS 7 form, available on the gov.uk website. We will send you this form, which you can fill out and sign electronically on your mobile phone, making the process much easier than before.
5. Other Types of Public Funding
If you don’t qualify for legal aid, you might still be eligible for other public funding options, such as the government voucher scheme. Refer to our previous blog post for more details on vouchers. The application process for vouchers is straightforward and only requires an electronic signature, taking no more than 20 seconds.
To apply for legal aid for family mediation, call us today or make an online referral and ask for legal aid. We will then send you the form and detailed instructions via email. The entire process can be completed electronically in about five minutes from your mobile phone.
Our team at Family Mediation Services is here to help you navigate the application process and begin resolving child arrangements, child maintenance, or divorce mediation. We aim to reduce the financial and emotional costs of separation and co-parenting.
Family mediation doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Call us should you have further questions. We’re open until 5:30 PM, Monday – Friday and ready to assist you!