Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the provision in the Children and Families Act 2014 making it compulsory for families to attend a mediation information and assessment meeting before being able to apply for a court order.

From 22 April 2014 it became a legislative requirement that anyone considering applying to court for an order about their children or finances is legally obliged to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) first, unless specific exemptions apply (for example domestic violence).

Following this legislative change, attendance at MIAMs has increased, as published at

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/438013/legal-aid-statistics-bulletin-jan-to-mar-2015.pdf

.

We are pleased that the number of couples attending MIAM and, more importantly, the number of mediation starts are increasing and we continue to look at ways in which mediation can be promoted as a more effective way of resolving disputes than an application through the court.