Family Mediator

Typical Salary

£20,000 To £35,000

Typical Hours

35 to 37 a week

evenings / weekends attending events or appointments

How To Become a Family Mediator

You can get into this job through:

a university course
volunteering
applying directly
training with a professional association

College / University

You could do a degree or postgraduate diploma in:

social work
law
counselling
psychotherapy
education

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship are not listed for this job.

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You could apply for a job as a trainee family mediator if you have a higher education qualification and experience in an area like:

law
social work
counselling

As part of the selection process, you'll need to show you have the right personal qualities and skills to be a family mediator.

Other Routes

You can do training with a professional association that works in mediation. Training entry requirements vary between them but most will expect you to have relevant experience from paid work or volunteering.

Associations include:

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
persuading and negotiating skills
active listening skills
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
excellent verbal communication skills
sensitivity and understanding
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
knowledge of English language
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

In this role you could:

meet clients jointly or separately to explain the mediation process and decide on the issues to discuss
help clients find ways of communicating with each other
listen to each client’s feelings and concerns
discuss issues like child residence and contact, property and money
help clients to consider all options and suggest and discuss solutions
keep discussions fair, equal and focused
keep accurate and confidential records of discussions
summarise agreements in writing
recognise when mediation is not working
work with solicitors and courts when necessary

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

You'll need paid or voluntary experience of working with families to get into this job. This could be in settings like family support centres, counselling services or child contact centres.

Volunteering at a local community mediation service, for instance helping to settle neighbour disputes, can also be useful experience.

Tips & Information

Career tips

Some family law solicitors and legal executives choose to train and work as mediators although law qualifications are not essential for this job.

Further information

You'll find more advice about working in family mediation through the Family Mediation Council.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks