What you can realistically expect…
If you are looking at a family mediation course, you probably want a straight answer. Can this become a reliable income?
It can, but there is no set salary. How much you earn depends on how you work.
You could be employed by a mediation service, take cases from different providers, run your own private practice or set up a limited company. You may also keep another job while your mediation work grows.
This guide breaks down the different options, what you could earn and the costs you will need to allow for after the course.
What could you earn as a family mediator?
As of August 2026, the National Careers Service lists a salary of £19,000 for someone starting out and £38,000 for an experienced family mediator.
The National Careers Service covers England, so this is not a salary range for the whole of the UK. It is still a useful guide if you are looking for an employed role.
Self-employed income is less predictable. You may earn less while you are finding your first cases. An established mediator with regular work may earn more than the published salary range.
You can start working after completing an FMC-approved foundation course, once you have joined an FMC member organisation, found a Professional Practice Consultant and registered with the FMC as working towards accreditation.
At this stage, you may be described as a trainee mediator or a mediator working towards accreditation. Trainee work is usually paid at a lower rate. Once you gain FMCA, you may have access to a wider range of work and higher rates.
There is no standard trainee or accredited rate. Each mediation service or organisation will decide what it pays.
How can family mediators work and get paid?
Family mediators do not all work in the same way.
Working arrangement | How you are paid | What this means |
Employed mediator | A regular salary from an employer | Your income is more predictable and the employer usually covers the cost of running the service. |
Trainee or sessional mediator | A set fee for each MIAM, joint session, case or working day | The rate may be lower while you work towards accreditation. The amount you earn depends on how much work the provider gives you. |
Sole trader | You invoice mediation providers, organisations or private clients | You keep the remaining profit after paying your business costs and tax. |
Limited company | Your company invoices the organisations or people you work with | The fees belong to the company. You then take income from the company and meet its running and tax obligations. |
Portfolio career | Income comes from mediation and other professional work | This can give you more financial stability while you build your mediation caseload. |
If you work for a mediation provider, you may invoice that company for the MIAMs or sessions you complete.
If you open your own private practice, you may invoice the participants using your service.
You can work as a sole trader or choose to set up a limited company. A limited company changes how you receive and manage the money. It does not create a caseload, so it is worth speaking to an accountant before deciding which structure suits you.
What could self-employed income look like?
An hourly or session rate is not the same as a salary.
The number that matters is how much paid work you complete during the year.
Here is a simple example. It assumes that your practice receives £120 for each paid hour and that you work for 44 weeks of the year. It is an illustration, rather than a typical or promised income.
Paid mediation hours each week | Gross yearly turnover |
5 hours | £26,400 |
10 hours | £52,800 |
15 hours | £79,200 |
Gross turnover is the money received before costs and tax. It is not the amount you take home.
Ten paid mediation hours may also require several hours of unpaid work. You may need to respond to enquiries, prepare for meetings, complete screening, keep records, write to participants and deal with invoices.
Not every enquiry becomes an ongoing case. The other participant may not engage, someone may decide not to continue or the mediator may assess that mediation is not suitable.
A family mediator must consider safety, domestic abuse, safeguarding, the welfare of children and any imbalance of power. Some cases will stop after the initial assessment meetings. Others may continue for several joint sessions.
This makes mediation income difficult to predict from the number of enquiries alone.
When can you start earning and what will it cost?
You do not have to wait until you are fully accredited before you begin paid work.
The usual route in England and Wales is:
- Complete an FMC-approved foundation course.
- Join an FMC member organisation.
- Find a PPC and register with the FMC as working towards accreditation.
- Begin suitable casework as a trainee mediator, within the professional restrictions that apply.
- Build and submit your portfolio for FMCA.
The Family Mediation Council normally allows three years from completion of foundation training to achieve FMCA. Extensions may be available in some circumstances.
The course fee is only the first cost.
You will also need to allow for professional membership, FMC registration, insurance, continuing professional development and portfolio assessment. If you open a practice, you may also need secure case management systems, accounting support, a website and marketing.
PPC support can be one of the larger costs.
A PPC session may cost between £70 and £250. The FMC requires ten hours of additional PPC support while you prepare your portfolio. If you complete this as ten one-hour sessions, the cost could be between £700 and £2,500.
Those ten hours are separate from the four hours of PPC time required each year for FMC registration. The FMC Portfolio Guidance explains both requirements.
From March 2026, the fee for a first portfolio submission is £440. The FMC says that its portfolio fees are reviewed each year.
You should therefore look at the full cost of reaching accreditation, rather than the course fee alone.
Starting with Veritas Mediation Academy
The Veritas Family Mediation Foundation Course is FMC-approved and provides the foundation training required to begin working towards FMCA in England and Wales.
The course includes more than 40 hours of tutor-led training over eight days. It is available online, in person and through a hybrid format.
Completing the course allows you to move into the trainee stage. Your income will then depend on where you find casework, the rate you are paid and whether you work through an organisation or develop your own practice.
Before booking, you can request the syllabus, course dates and fees. You can request the syllabus, course dates and fees from Veritas Mediation Academy. The team can also answer any questions about the course and the route towards FMCA.