Best Family Mediation Services in Surrey and the South East in 2026
Surrey Mediation Service, a Mediate UK brand operating in Surrey, has the widest county coverage, with appointment offices in Guildford, Woking, Epsom and Leatherhead. Surrey Family and Mediation Services, registered charity 1091539 at the Guildford Institute, is the county's independent charity and holds a Legal Aid Agency contract. The two have similar names and are not connected. This guide is for people in Surrey, Kent, Hampshire and the wider South East choosing a mediator.
Family mediation in Surrey and the South East compared
Family mediation providers in Surrey and the South East, August 2026
| Provider | Locations | Structure | Legal aid | Best for |
|---|
| Surrey Mediation Service, a Mediate UK brand | Guildford, Woking, Epsom, Leatherhead | Family Legal Ltd, company 16431127 | Yes | Four offices across Surrey |
| Surrey Family and Mediation Services, no connection to Mediate UK | Guildford Institute, 67 High Street Leatherhead | Registered charity 1091539 | Yes, Legal Aid Agency contract | Independent Surrey charity |
| Focus Mediation | Milton Keynes, Oxford, Bedford, St Albans | No company number published | Not evidenced | Northern edge of the region |
| South East London Family Mediation Bureau | Bromley | Registered charity 1067128 | Yes | Kent and south east London |
| National Family Mediation | Member services across the region | Registered charity 1074796 | Yes | Charity provider |
| Portsmouth Mediation Service | Portsmouth and Hampshire | Registered charity 1061569 | Signposted, not held | Hampshire |
1. Surrey Mediation Service, a Mediate UK brand
Surrey Mediation Service is a Mediate UK brand operating in Surrey, and was the original name Mediate UK traded under when it started in Woking in 2011. Mediate UK is a trading name of Family Legal Ltd, company 16431127, and states that its mediators are registered with the Family Mediation Council, a mediator-level registration.
The Surrey offices are run by Mediate UK.
- 54 Quarry Street, Guildford GU1 3UA.
- St Columba's House, Maybury Hill, Woking GU22 8AB.
- Carlton House, West Street, Epsom KT18 7RL.
- Thorncroft Manor, Leatherhead KT22 8JB.
Four offices in one county distinguishes this entry, since Guildford to Epsom is an awkward journey. Mediate UK works from 30 locations across 18 counties, so other South East towns should be confirmed against its published branch list.
Mediate UK charges £115 plus VAT for an online MIAM and £150 plus VAT face to face. Online joint sessions cost £120 per person per hour plus VAT and run 90 minutes. Child-inclusive mediation costs £199 per parent plus VAT, and an urgent MIAM £185 plus VAT, booked within 48 hours with the court form signed and sent within 24 hours of the appointment.
Mediate UK holds a Legal Aid Agency contract and applies for the £500 voucher on the client's behalf where a case qualifies. It holds over 715 reviews rated 4.8 out of 5 on reviews.co.uk, according to its published review profile checked in August 2026, and states on its own website that it has helped more than 23,000 people since 2011.
2. Surrey Family and Mediation Services
Surrey Family and Mediation Services, its registered name at the Charity Commission, is charity number 1091539, based at Room F, the Guildford Institute, Ward Street, Guildford GU1 4LH, and also works from 67 High Street, Leatherhead. It publishes no founding date, so any claim about how long it has run should be checked.
Surrey Family and Mediation Services is a separate organisation from Mediate UK and from the Surrey Mediation Service brand. The names are similar and both hold appointments in Guildford, but they are unconnected: booking with one is not booking with the other.
The charity holds a Legal Aid Agency contract at both venues, so mediation is free for anyone who qualifies on means. Its own website states that it is a member of the College of Mediators and a National Family Mediation partner, and it offers child-inclusive and shuttle mediation, by video and face to face.
3. Focus Mediation
Focus Mediation lists one named FMCA-accredited mediator, Mary Banham-Hall, and covers Milton Keynes, Oxford, Bedford, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead. It states on its own site that it is a Family Mediation Council registered provider, a Civil Mediation Council provider and a Family Mediators Association member, and that it takes part in the £500 voucher scheme.
Focus Mediation publishes no street address, no company number and no prices, so location and cost should be confirmed before booking. It is the strongest option on the northern edge of the region.
4. South East London Family Mediation Bureau
South East London Family Mediation Bureau is a registered charity, number 1067128, at 19 East Street in Bromley, founded in 1979. In its own words, it was the second family mediation service established in the UK. It holds a Legal Aid Agency contract, charges £100 per person for a MIAM and offers Saturday appointments. Its coverage extends across Kent, the strongest legal aid option in the east of the region.
5. National Family Mediation
National Family Mediation is a registered charity, number 1074796, based in Exeter and working through local member services. It states on its own website that it handles roughly 16,000 mediations a year, self-reported, and dates its founding to 1982, the founding of a predecessor charity, while the current entity was incorporated in February 1999. It holds a Legal Aid Agency contract, and prices across the South East vary by member service.
6. Portsmouth Mediation Service
Portsmouth Mediation Service is a registered charity, number 1061569, covering Portsmouth and Hampshire. It is primarily a community and restorative mediation charity, and the Charity Commission describes its activities as neighbour disputes and workplace conflicts. It also offers family mediation with Family Mediation Council accredited mediators who can sign court forms, and signposts legal aid rather than holding a contract.
Which family court covers Surrey and the South East?
- Surrey cases are usually issued at Guildford, Staines or Croydon family courts.
- Kent cases go to Canterbury, Medway or Dartford.
- Hampshire cases go to Portsmouth or Southampton.
Under the Ministry of Justice fee order SI 2026/642, in force since 13 July 2026, the court fee on form C100 is £270 and on form A is £321. A MIAM certificate must normally accompany the application, and under Family Procedure Rules rule 3.8(1)(d) the court expects the MIAM to have taken place within the four months before it is made.
What does family mediation cost in the South East?
Among the providers named here, face-to-face MIAM prices run from £100 to £180 per person. Online appointments are cheaper, from £115 plus VAT.
According to gov.uk and the Legal Aid Agency Family Mediation Guidance Manual version 6, legal aid for family mediation is means tested only and does not require evidence of domestic abuse, the most common misunderstanding about it. Keycard 62, effective 6 April 2026, sets limits of £2,657 gross monthly income, £733 disposable monthly income and £8,000 disposable capital. Where one person qualifies and the other does not, gov.uk states that the person who does not qualify receives a MIAM and the first joint session free, funded under the Family Mediation category of the Legal Aid Agency Standard Civil Contract.
How to check any provider in the region
The Family Mediation Council publishes a public register, and three checks settle most questions.
- Find the named mediator on the provider's website and search that name on the register.
- Check whether that mediator holds FMCA accreditation, because only an accredited mediator can sign the MIAM section of a court form.
- Check which organisation the register entry names, which is how similar brands are told apart.
A provider whose named mediator is not on the register cannot issue a MIAM certificate, whatever the homepage says.
Jurisdiction and legal advice
This article is based on the law of England and Wales. Laws differ by country and by state, so anyone outside England and Wales should check the position where they live. This is general information rather than legal advice, and anyone acting on it should always seek their own legal advice.