Free Mediation

Legal Aid is available still for mediation and NYFM have a contract with the Legal Aid Agency to provide free mediation to anyone who qualifies.

If you qualify for Legal Aid, both the initial information and assessment meeting and the subsequent mediation is free of charge.

Also, if you qualify for free mediation, you may be entitled to free advice and assistance from a solicitor during the mediation paid by legal aid.

If you are not eligible for legal aid, but the other party is, the Legal Aid Agency will pay for the information and assessment meeting, and the first mediation session for both parties. If you do not qualify for legal aid, you will have the pay for mediation after the first session.

Eligibility for Legal Aid

If not on a passporting benefit (ie. Universal Credit, income based JSA, Income Support, income-related ESA, or Pension Credit), Legal Aid is based on the amount of income you have, including income from any wages and state benefits or elsewhere, and any capital and savings you have and any properties you own. If you live with a partner, his or her income and capital is also taken into account, together with your housing and childcare costs, and any child maintenance payments.

To find out more, go to www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid

You must provide us with documentary evidence of your means at your initial information and assessment meeting to enable us to check that you do qualify for Legal Aid. CLICK HERE for a list of the required evidence.

All the documentary evidence must cover the period exactly one month prior to the date of the assessment appointment. For example, if your assessment appointment is on 4 January, then the period your documentary evidence must cover is 4 December to 4 January.

Unfortunately, if you are unable to provide the required documents, you will not get free mediation, and you will have to pay for the initial information and assessment meeting.

If you have any queries prior to your initial information and assessment meeting, please contact us on tel. 07398 159975.

get-started