MIAMs · England & Wales
The MIAM certificate, explained accurately
The “MIAM certificate” is the confirmation, signed by an FMC-accredited mediator, that you attended a MIAM or are exempt. It is what lets the family court accept your application. It is valid for four months, and only an accredited mediator can provide it.
One point most websites get wrong: the confirmation is not always a separate certificate. For a C100 or Form A it is built into the application form. The separate form people call the FM1 is used with C1 and C2 applications. We set out exactly how this works below.
Last reviewed · 12 June 2026 · Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy
Court forms signed under FPR r.3.9(1) · FM1 published on GOV.UK
What is a MIAM certificate?
When people say “MIAM certificate”, they mean the mediator’s formal confirmation that you have either attended a MIAM or qualify for an exemption. The family court requires this confirmation before it will accept most child or financial applications. Without it, your application is returned.
The confirmation records who attended, the date, and the outcome, for example that mediation was not suitable, or that the other person declined to take part. It is signed by the mediator, because the court relies on the mediator’s professional judgement that the MIAM requirement has genuinely been met.
What does the certificate actually look like?
Getting this right is where many guides go wrong, treating every MIAM confirmation as a single document called the FM1. In practice it depends on the application:
| Your application | How the MIAM is confirmed |
|---|---|
| C100 (child arrangements, prohibited steps, specific issue) | The MIAM section is part of the C100 itself. The mediator completes and signs it within the form. There is no separate certificate. |
| Form A (financial order on divorce or dissolution) | The MIAM confirmation is built into Form A, signed by the mediator. Again, no separate document. |
| C1 or C2 (e.g. parental responsibility, guardianship, change of surname, removal from the UK, special guardianship) | The mediator completes a separate form, the FM1, which is filed alongside your C1 or C2. |
For the full list of which applications need a MIAM, including the specific Children Act sections, see which forms need a MIAM.
What is the FM1 form?
The FM1 is the Family Mediation Information and Assessment Form. It is the document a mediator completes to confirm your MIAM attendance or exemption when you apply to court using form C1 or C2. The FM1 is published by the Ministry of Justice and is used specifically with those applications.
The single most useful thing to understand about the FM1 is what it is not: it is not an application for a court order. It does not, by itself, ask the court to decide anything. It accompanies your C1 or C2 to show the MIAM requirement has been met. The C1 or C2 is the application; the FM1 travels with it.
If you have read elsewhere that “the FM1 is the MIAM certificate” for every case, that is out of date. Around fourteen years ago the FM1 did accompany all the relevant applications, which is why the term stuck. The rules have moved on, and for C100 and Form A the confirmation now sits inside the application form.
How long is a MIAM certificate valid?
A mediator’s signature on a court form is treated as valid for four months. This comes from custom and practice that has grown up around the court rules rather than a single hard-coded deadline, but four months is the working figure you should plan around.
If you do not submit your court application within four months of your MIAM, you will usually need to attend a further MIAM before the court will accept the application. The practical advice is simple: once you have your signed form, do not sit on it. If your circumstances mean court is some way off, it can be worth timing your MIAM accordingly.
Can I get a MIAM certificate online?
Yes. An online MIAM, held by video call, results in exactly the same valid confirmation as one held in person. The mediator signs your form in the same way. We conduct MIAMs online across England and Wales, and for most people it is the quickest route to a signed form. See online MIAMs and, if you are against a deadline, urgent MIAMs.
Who can issue a MIAM certificate?
Only a family mediator accredited by the Family Mediation Council, an FMCA mediator, can conduct a MIAM and sign the confirmation. This is set out in rule 3.9(1) of the Family Procedure Rules. A mediator who is still working towards accreditation cannot sign court forms, which means a MIAM conducted by an unaccredited person may not be accepted by the court.
It is worth checking. Every mediator at MIAM UK is FMCA-accredited and listed on the Family Mediation Council’s public register, and we link each of them to their register entry on our mediators so you can confirm it yourself before you book. If a service will not tell you who your mediator is or let you verify their accreditation, treat that as a warning sign.
Need your MIAM confirmation for court? Book a MIAM with an FMCA-accredited mediator and your form is signed where appropriate. On a standard MIAM the signed certificate is £66 inc VAT; an urgent MIAM includes it, and it is free with legal aid. Call 0330 999 0959 if you have a deadline.
Quick answers
MIAM certificate: common questions
Is the MIAM certificate the same as the FM1 form?
Not exactly. The FM1 is the form used to confirm your MIAM for C1 and C2 applications. For a C100 or Form A, the confirmation is built into the application form instead, so there is no separate FM1. People use “MIAM certificate” loosely to mean the confirmation in any of these forms.
How long does a MIAM certificate last?
Four months. If you do not apply to court within four months of your MIAM, you will usually need another MIAM before the court will accept your application.
Do I get a physical certificate to keep?
What you receive is the mediator’s signed confirmation in the relevant court form, or a completed FM1 for C1 and C2 cases, usually sent to you or your solicitor electronically. It is the signature and the form that the court relies on, not a decorative certificate.
Can the certificate be issued if my ex-partner did not attend?
Yes. If the other person declines to attend their own MIAM, the mediator records that and still signs your form. Their non-attendance does not prevent you from getting your confirmation or applying to court.
Is there an extra charge for the certificate?
On a standard MIAM, yes. The £138 fee covers the meeting itself; if you need the signed court form to apply to court, the certificate is £66 inc VAT (£55 + VAT). It is included with an urgent MIAM, and free if you qualify for legal aid.
What if I have an exemption rather than attending a MIAM?
If a valid exemption applies, that is recorded on the relevant form too, and you must provide the evidence the court expects. See MIAM exemptions for the categories and the evidence needed.
Sources and further reading
- Form FM1 on GOV.UK
- Family Procedure Rules, Part 3 and Practice Direction 3A, including rule 3.9(1)
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 10
- Family Mediation Council, MIAM Standards
Reviewed by Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy, Mediate UK. MIAM UK is a trading name of Family Legal Ltd. Last reviewed 12 June 2026.