The Family Mediation Council (FMC) is the umbrella body for family mediation in England and Wales. The Family Mediation Council is a not-for-profit company whose members are the five national organisations to which family mediators belong, and it “maintains a professional register of family mediators”, sets their training and accreditation standards, publishes the Code of Practice they must follow and operates the complaints scheme that sits above their own procedures.[1][2] The Family Mediation Council does not provide mediation itself and does not recommend individual mediators.[1] The Family Mediation Council’s standards work is carried out by an independent committee, the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB).[2]
The FMC was formed in late 2007 as an informal association of the existing mediation bodies and was incorporated in April 2015, when the FMSB was created.[3][4] The Family Mediation Council has no statutory powers, but the Family Procedure Rules give it a defined role: an “authorised family mediator”, the only person who may conduct a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before a court application, is “a person identified by the Family Mediation Council as qualified to conduct a MIAM”, and since 1 January 2016 the FMC has identified only mediators holding its accreditation (FMCA).[5][6][7] In 2025 its register listed 1,025 mediators, of whom 67 per cent were accredited.[4]
Definition and purpose
The FMC describes itself as “a not for profit organisation that maintains a professional register of family mediators”, and states that “it doesn’t provide mediation itself or recommend a particular provider”.[1] Its function is to set and enforce the professional standards of family mediators across the different membership organisations. Mediators on its register must have completed approved training, follow its Code of Practice, hold professional indemnity insurance, undertake continuing professional development, receive supervision from a Professional Practice Consultant, and operate a complaints procedure.[1][8]
Before the FMC existed each membership organisation trained, accredited and disciplined its own mediators to its own standard, and the Legal Aid Agency’s predecessors ran a separate competence assessment for publicly funded work.[9][3] The FMC’s Standards Framework, introduced from 1 January 2015, replaced these with a single accreditation, FMCA, which the first edition of the framework described as “designed to be the standard qualification for family mediators in England and Wales” and which “embraces the current APC and Law Society schemes”.[9] The current edition, version 1.6 of August 2025, repeats that aim.[10]
The FMC’s work is confined to family mediation. Civil and commercial mediators are served by a separate body, the Civil Mediation Council, and mediation in Scotland and Northern Ireland falls outside the FMC’s remit.
Legal status and statutory recognition
The FMC is a company limited by guarantee, registration number 9560220, with its registered office at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London.[2] It is not created by statute and has no power to fine or to compel. Its authority over mediators is contractual: a mediator who wishes to appear on the register agrees to its Code of Practice and its complaints and disciplinary procedures, and the sanctions available to the FMSB run from further training and conditions on practice to suspension or removal from the register.[8][11][10] The FMC’s 2025 report describes the system as “a voluntary accreditation and regulatory system”.[4]
The statutory framework nevertheless relies on the FMC. Section 10 of the Children and Families Act 2014 requires a person to attend a MIAM before making most family applications, and leaves the detail to the Family Procedure Rules.[12] Rule 3.9(1) provides that “only an authorised family mediator may conduct a MIAM”, and rule 3.1 defines an authorised family mediator as “a person identified by the Family Mediation Council as qualified to conduct a MIAM”.[6][5] That definition was inserted with effect from 1 January 2016; before then the rules referred to a mediator who was a member of an FMC member organisation.[5][7] The FMC has since interpreted “qualified to conduct a MIAM” as holding FMCA, including provisional FMCA, so that in practice the court forms C100, Form A, Form A1 and FM1 may be signed only by an accredited mediator.[13][7]
Practice Direction 3A directs prospective applicants to the FMC’s online register to find a mediator, and under the FMC’s scope of practice rules a mediator still working towards accreditation may not conduct legally aided or voucher-funded MIAMs or mediation alone.[14][15] The effect is that the FMC, although a private body, controls entry to the one part of the family justice system in which a mediator’s signature carries legal consequences.
Structure and governance
The FMC is governed by a board of directors. Each of the five member organisations appoints one director, and the board may co-opt others; in 2026 it is chaired by John Taylor and has seven other directors, two of them co-opted.[2] The board “meets approximately every two months to consider matters of common concern”.[2]
The Family Mediation Standards Board
Standards, accreditation and discipline are delegated to the Family Mediation Standards Board, which has “delegated authority to advise upon and oversee the implementation of, and adherence to, the FMC’s professional standards”.[2] The FMSB was set up on incorporation in April 2015 “as a self-regulatory body for the profession”.[4] Its five members in 2026 are Adrienne Cox, Robert Creighton (chair), Juliette Dalrymple, Beryl Darling and Laurence Nicholson.[2] The FMC states that the FMSB “works independently” in handling registration, accreditation, complaints and disciplinary appeals on its behalf.[1] The board publishes its minutes, issues regulatory notes and guidance (for example on MIAMs, on screening for domestic abuse and, in February 2026, on the use of artificial intelligence in mediation), and appoints the assessors who mark accreditation portfolios.[16][10]
Member organisations
The FMC’s members are organisations, not individual mediators. Its governance page lists five, each of which appoints a director: the Family Mediators Association (FMA), the College of Mediators, National Family Mediation (NFM), Resolution and The Law Society.[2] The FMC’s general description of itself refers to “four national family mediation organisations”, omitting the Law Society, which is a professional body for solicitors rather than a mediation organisation as such.[1][17] Every registered mediator must be “a current member of an MO”, that is, of at least one member organisation.[8]
| Member organisation | Founded | Character |
|---|---|---|
| National Family Mediation (NFM) | 1982, as the National Family Conciliation Council | Network of not-for-profit local mediation services; a founding member of the FMC[18] |
| Family Mediators Association (FMA) | 1988 | Membership body for mediators from legal and non-legal backgrounds; describes itself as a founding member of the FMC[19] |
| College of Mediators | Formerly the UK College of Family Mediators | Cross-sector membership and standards body for mediators[3] |
| Resolution | 1982, by family lawyers; its company remains the Solicitors Family Law Association | Community of more than 6,500 family justice professionals, including solicitors, legal executives, barristers, financial planners and family mediators[20] |
| The Law Society | Professional body for solicitors in England and Wales | Appoints a director; formerly ran its own family mediation accreditation scheme, now embraced within FMCA[2][9] |
Membership of a member organisation is a condition of registration with the FMC, and the register records which organisation each mediator belongs to.[21] The member organisations retain their own roles in training, events, member support and, for some, the approval of foundation courses, but accreditation, the register and the complaints appeal stage are FMC functions.[10]
What the FMC does
Standards and the Code of Practice
The FMC “operates a framework for professional standards and regulation for family mediators”.[16] The central documents are the Manual of Professional Standards and Self-Regulatory Framework (version 1.6, August 2025), which sets the training, accreditation, supervision and continuing development requirements, and the Code of Practice for Family Mediators (version 1.5, August 2025), which every registered mediator must follow.[10][8] A separate Code of Practice governs Professional Practice Consultants.[16] The Code defines mediation as a process in which participants “appoint an impartial third person, a Mediator, to assist them to communicate better with one another and reach their own agreed and informed decisions”, and sets the principles of voluntary participation, neutrality as to outcome, impartiality and confidentiality.[8] Its provisions on confidentiality, on the without prejudice status of negotiations and on the open status of financial information underpin the memorandum of understanding and open financial statement that conclude a financial mediation.[8]
Training and accreditation
The FMC approves foundation training courses, which must provide at least 60 hours of contact time, and requires a newly trained mediator to register as “working towards accreditation” before practising.[10] Accreditation (FMCA) is awarded on assessment of a portfolio of casework, normally within three years of training, and must be renewed every three years on evidence of practice, continuing professional development and supervision.[10] The route is described on FMCA accredited family mediator. The FMC also recognises mediators qualified to consult children directly in child-inclusive mediation, and has required all mediators working towards accreditation to attend child-inclusive mediation awareness training since September 2019.[4][10]
Public information and the voucher scheme
The FMC publishes public information on mediation, MIAMs, cost and legal aid, and organises Family Mediation Week each January to raise awareness of mediation; the 2026 week ran from 26 to 30 January.[22][23] Since 2021 it has administered the Ministry of Justice’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, receiving mediators’ claims and paying the £500 contribution towards mediation about children; the Ministry confirmed funding for the 2026-27 financial year in March 2026.[24][25] The FMC also collects and publishes sector data, most recently in The State of Family Mediation 2025.[4]
The FMC Register
The FMC Register is the public list of family mediators who subscribe to the FMC’s standards. It “contains details of mediators’ accreditation status, other relevant qualifications, public contact information and which FMC member organisation(s) the mediator belongs to”.[21] It can be searched by name or unique reference number, by accreditation status (“Accredited” or “Working towards accreditation”), by postcode and distance, by member organisation, and by service: qualified to sign court forms, provides legally aided mediation, qualified to see children in mediation, offers online mediation, and qualified as a Professional Practice Consultant.[21]
Each mediator has a unique reference number. A number ending in “A” denotes full FMCA and one ending in “P” denotes provisional FMCA; both are authorised to conduct MIAMs and sign court forms.[13][7] A mediator working towards accreditation appears on the register but may conduct MIAMs only jointly with an accredited mediator, may not sign court forms, and may not conduct legally aided or voucher-funded work alone.[15] Practice Direction 3A points applicants to the register, and a court checking a MIAM confirmation can verify the mediator’s status there.[14]
Complaints and discipline
Every registered mediator must operate their own complaints procedure and “abide by the complaints and disciplinary procedures laid down by the FMC”.[8] A complaint goes first to the mediator. If the complainant is dissatisfied, or the mediator has not responded, a complaint may be made to the FMSB, provided the mediator’s process “has been exhausted within the last three months”.[10][11] Complaints are accepted from clients, former clients and prospective clients directly affected by a mediator’s professional behaviour, and concern alleged breaches of the Code of Practice and other FMC standards.[11]
The FMSB’s powers are professional, not compensatory. Outcomes can include a requirement of further training, conditions on practice, and “suspension or removal of Family Mediation Council Accreditation”.[10] The FMC states plainly that “the FMSB cannot require mediators to return fees, and it cannot require mediators to pay compensation”.[11] An appeal lies where the complaints panel “did not take in to account relevant evidence or did not give sufficient weight to that evidence, or the correct process was not followed”.[11] Complaints that are vexatious or of a purely personal nature are not investigated.[11] Guidance on complaint handling for mediators was issued in April 2026.[16]
Statistics
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mediators on the FMC Register | 1,025 | FMC, 2025[4] |
| Proportion holding FMCA | 67 per cent | FMC, 2025[4] |
| Legal aid mediation services | 86 services across England and Wales | FMC, 2025[4] |
| Mediators offering legally aided mediation | 238 in 2025, down from 450 in 2018 | FMC, 2025[4] |
| Most common MIAM fee | Around £150 per person | FMC survey, 2025[4] |
| Typical hourly rate for mediation sessions | £130 to £170 per person per hour | FMC cost guide[22] |
| Cases proceeding to mediation where both attend a MIAM | About 70 per cent | FMC, 2025[4] |
| Cases reaching full or partial settlement | 69 per cent | FMC survey, 2025[4] |
| Voucher scheme vouchers issued | 13,675 in 2024/25 | FMC, 2025[4] |
| Public awareness of family mediation | Two thirds of adults very or somewhat aware | FMC survey, 2025[4] |
The register figure counts individuals rather than services, and includes mediators who practise part-time or only occasionally. The FMC’s report records that the number of mediators offering legal aid has fallen sharply since 2018 while the register as a whole has stayed close to 1,000.[4] Wider figures on legally aided mediation and on the voucher scheme are on family mediation statistics.
History
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| 1982 to 1996 | The main mediation bodies are founded: National Family Mediation (1982, as the National Family Conciliation Council), the Family Mediators Association (1988) and the UK College of Family Mediators, later the College of Mediators[18][19][3] |
| Late 2007 | The Family Mediation Council is established as an umbrella body by the Family Mediators Association, the Law Society, National Family Mediation, Resolution and the College of Mediators. The FMC’s own 2025 report dates the informal umbrella organisation to 2008[3][4] |
| 2011 | The FMC commissions Professor John McEldowney to review the regulation of family mediation; his report concludes that the FMC is best placed to lead change[4][3] |
| 22 April 2014 | The statutory MIAM requirement comes into force under section 10 of the Children and Families Act 2014; the rules define an authorised family mediator by reference to FMC membership[12][5] |
| September 2014 to 1 January 2015 | The FMC publishes its Manual of Professional Standards and Self-Regulatory Framework, creating the single FMCA accreditation in operation from 1 January 2015[9] |
| April 2015 | The FMC is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and sets up the Family Mediation Standards Board[4][2] |
| 1 January 2016 | FPR rule 3.1 is amended so that an authorised family mediator is a person identified by the FMC as qualified to conduct a MIAM; the FMC identifies only FMCA mediators[5][7] |
| September 2019 | Child-inclusive mediation awareness training becomes compulsory for mediators working towards accreditation, and by January 2020 for accredited mediators[4] |
| March 2021 | The FMC begins administering the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme for the Ministry of Justice[24] |
| February 2024 | The government’s response to its consultation on earlier resolution of private family law disputes declines to make mediation compulsory, relying instead on FMC-accredited MIAMs and strengthened court powers[26] |
| August 2025 | Version 1.6 of the Standards Framework and version 1.5 of the Code of Practice are published; The State of Family Mediation 2025 follows in September[10][8][4] |
Criticism and debate
The FMC’s position as a voluntary regulator with statutory consequences has attracted comment from within the profession. Blakey’s 2023 study of family mediators found that some regarded the FMC as “not very respected by mediators”, and recorded the McEldowney report’s observation of “some degree of distrust between legally and non-legally qualified mediators”.[3] The single accreditation was intended to resolve that division, and the FMC’s own figures show the register roughly stable in size since 2018; but the fall in legally aided providers over the same period, from 450 to 238, is a recurring concern in its reports.[4]
A second debate concerns the limits of self-regulation. The FMSB cannot order refunds or compensation, and its remedies act on the mediator’s registration rather than the client’s loss.[11] Mediators who are also solicitors remain subject to their own professional regulator in that capacity, but a non-lawyer mediator is answerable only to the FMC and to the general law. The government’s 2024 decision not to mandate mediation left the FMC’s structure unchanged and placed further weight on the MIAM, and therefore on FMC accreditation, as the point at which separating couples are assessed and informed.[26]
See also
- FMCA accredited family mediator – the FMC’s accreditation
- Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting – the meeting only FMC-authorised mediators may conduct
- Family mediation
- Confidentiality in mediation – the Code’s confidentiality provisions
- Child-inclusive mediation
- Family Mediation Voucher Scheme – administered by the FMC
- Family mediation statistics
- History of family mediation
- Family law professionals – how mediators sit alongside solicitors, barristers and others
References
- About the FMC. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Who we are: board of directors and Family Mediation Standards Board. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Blakey, R.. ‘Mediators mediating themselves’: tensions within the family mediator profession. Legal Studies, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 139 to 158. doi:10.1017/lst.2022.29. 2023. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- The State of Family Mediation 2025. Family Mediation Council. September 2025. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 3.1: Interpretation. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 3.9: Conduct of MIAMs. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- FAQs about professional standards, accreditation and registration (1 January 2016 changes). Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- FMC Code of Practice for Family Mediators, v1.5. Family Mediation Council. August 2025. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- FMC Manual of Professional Standards and Self-Regulatory Framework (first edition). Family Mediation Council. September 2014. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- FMC Manual of Professional Standards and Self-Regulatory Framework, v1.6. Family Mediation Council. August 2025. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Complaints about mediators. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 10: Family mediation information and assessment meetings. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- MIAMs: guidance for PPCs and mediators. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Practice Direction 3A: Family Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs). Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Scope of practice of mediators working towards accreditation. Family Mediation Council. January 2025. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Standards, Codes of Practice and Guidance. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- About us: FMC member organisations. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- History. National Family Mediation. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- About the FMA. Family Mediators Association. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- About us. Resolution. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- FMC Register Search. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- What does mediation cost?. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Mediation Week. Family Mediation Council. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Mediation Voucher Scheme. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- FMC welcomes funding of family mediation voucher scheme for 2026-27 financial year. Family Mediation Council. 27 March 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Supporting earlier resolution of private family law arrangements: government response. Ministry of Justice. 12 February 2024. Accessed 5 September 2026.
External links
- Family Mediation Council – official site
- Standards, Codes of Practice and Guidance – Standards Framework, Code of Practice and FMSB guidance
- Family Procedure Rules Part 3 (justice.gov.uk)
- Practice Direction 3A
- GOV.UK: Family Mediation Voucher Scheme
This article is part of Family Mediation Wiki, published by Family Legal Ltd. It is general information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice. Last reviewed 6 September 2026. About this site and editorial policy · Report an error.