Accredited Family Mediator, MIAM Provider, and Conflict Resolution Specialist
I have spent my career working at the intersection of conflict, relationship, and human complexity. My background is in psychology, and I hold a Masters and a PhD in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies, research that took me into some of the world’s most fractured communities, working alongside the United Nations and international NGOs. That work taught me something I carry into every mediation room: that behind every conflict, however entrenched, there are people trying to be understood.
Family breakdown is its own kind of divided society. The hurt is intimate, the stakes are profound, and the decisions that need to be made, about children, finances, homes, and futures, require clarity of thought at precisely the moment when clarity feels hardest to find. My role is to create the conditions in which that clarity becomes possible.
Family Mediation in Hertfordshire: What I Offer
I provide family mediation services across Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas, working with separating couples and parents on child arrangements, financial settlements, and property matters. I offer both face-to-face and online mediation sessions to suit your circumstances.
As a fully accredited member of the Family Mediation Council (FMC), I meet the highest professional standards for family mediators in England and Wales. FMC accreditation is the recognised quality mark for family mediation, and it means that any agreements reached in mediation with me can be taken to a solicitor to be made legally binding through a consent order. I am also a member of the Family Mediation Association and the College of Mediators, and I work within their respective codes of practice.
MIAM: Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting
Before most applications to the family court in England and Wales, attendance at a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) is required by law. A MIAM is an initial confidential meeting with a qualified mediator, at which you will receive information about how mediation works, what it costs, and whether it is suitable for your situation. I am registered to conduct MIAMs and can issue the MIAM certificate required for court applications, including Form C100 for child arrangements and Form A for financial remedy proceedings. If mediation is not suitable, I will tell you so clearly and promptly so that you can proceed with the appropriate alternative.
Child Arrangements Mediation
Where children are involved, I help parents reach workable, child-focused agreements about where children will live, how much time they will spend with each parent, schooling, holidays, and other important decisions. I encourage parents to place the interests and needs of their children at the centre of every conversation.
I am trained in Child Inclusive Mediation, an approach that gives children and young people the opportunity to have their own voice heard within the mediation process, where it is appropriate to do so. A child’s perspective is gathered by a specialist practitioner and fed back to parents with care. Children are not the subjects of adult decisions; they are people with their own experiences, feelings, and needs.
Financial Mediation and Divorce Financial Settlement
I work with separating couples to reach financial agreements covering the division of assets, property, pensions, savings, debts, and maintenance. Financial mediation can be significantly faster and less costly than contested court proceedings, and it allows you to shape the outcome yourselves rather than having decisions imposed by a judge. Agreements reached in financial mediation are recorded in a Memorandum of Understanding, which your solicitors can use to draft a consent order, making the agreement legally binding.
Legal Aid and the Government Mediation Voucher Scheme
I am a legal aid provider for family mediation. If you are on a low income, you may be entitled to publicly funded mediation at no cost to you. If one person in a mediation qualifies for legal aid, their MIAM is also free for the other party. The government’s family mediation voucher scheme may provide financial support towards the cost of mediation in eligible child arrangements cases. I can advise you on whether you are likely to qualify.
Professional Practice Consultant: Supervising Family Mediators
I work as a Professional Practice Consultant (PPC), supervising and supporting other family mediators in their professional development and reflective practice. This responsibility requires the same quality of attention I bring to mediation itself: rigour, curiosity, and the ability to hold complexity without rushing to resolve it. Sitting with a colleague as they work through a difficult case deepens my own practice as much as it supports theirs.
Cross-Border Family Mediation and International Child Abduction
I hold accreditation with MiKK, the international network specialising in cross-border family mediation. This is a highly specialist area of practice. When a child has been taken abroad without the consent of the other parent, or when separated parents live in different countries, the legal and emotional landscape is uniquely complex. Cases involving the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction require a mediator who understands both the international legal framework and the particular pressures on families living across borders and jurisdictions. MiKK-accredited mediators are specifically trained to work with these cases, supporting parents to reach agreements that courts in multiple countries can recognise and uphold. I am one of a small number of mediators in England and Wales qualified to work in this field.
A Practice Built on Psychology and the Science of Conflict
My academic background sets my practice apart. A PhD in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies, combined with hands-on work in post-conflict environments through the United Nations and international NGOs, means I bring a depth of understanding of human conflict that goes beyond procedural training. I understand why people become entrenched, what makes resolution possible, and how to hold a space in which both things can coexist. This informs my approach to high-conflict family cases, to cases involving domestic abuse considerations, and to any situation where the gap between two people feels very wide.
An Inclusive Practice for All Families
My practice embraces the full diversity of families across the UK. I have worked extensively with clients from the many cultures and communities that make up contemporary British life, and I am proud of the trust placed in me by clients from the BAME community and by LGBTQ+ parents and partners. Every family carries its own story, its own structure, and its own understanding of what matters. I meet each one where it is.
Why Choose Mediation Over the Family Court?
Family mediation in England and Wales is actively encouraged by the courts before any private law application. Mediation is typically faster, significantly less expensive than court proceedings, and, crucially, it keeps decision-making in your hands. Pursuing matters through the family courts can take those crucial decisions, about your children, your finances, and your future, out of your hands entirely. I hold a deep conviction that you are the person best placed to make the big decisions about your family. My job is to help you find the space to think, and the confidence to decide.
Rachel Evenden Mediation and Conflict Resolution. Based in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, serving clients across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, North London, and online throughout England and Wales. FMC Accredited, MiKK Accredited, Legal Aid Provider, Child Inclusive Mediation trained, Professional Practice Consultant.
