We can work it out. Together.

Mediation is a voluntary process in which an impartial facilitator (a neutral third party) assists people in reaching a settlement. The role of the mediator is to help identify issues and facilitate communication to enable people to work out their own solutions and arrive at a mutually agreeable settlement.

The mediator does not take sides, make decisions or provide legal advice. Participants in mediation are encouraged to obtain independent legal advice from their own lawyers before and throughout the mediation process.

If a settlement is reached in mediation, it only becomes binding when both parties sign a formal agreement, generally prepared with the assistance of their respective independent lawyers.

Specializing in mediation services for separating couples and co-parents, we offer a holistic approach for families in transition. The guidance, tools and resources we provide are explicitly aimed at promoting the well-being of children, reducing conflict and promoting your ability to successfully co-parent during this time of transition and into the future.

Our services are ideal for:

• Recently separated married or common-law spouses, with or without children, seeking to resolve the issues arising from the breakdown of their relationship, including property, support and parenting issues;

• People who have children together seeking to reach an agreement on how they will parent their children, include particulars around the time the children will spend with each parent and how decisions will be made for the children;

• Separated spouses or co-parents seeking to modify an existing separation agreement or court order.

Before applying to court, separating spouses have a legal duty under the Divorce Act to try to resolve their issues using a family dispute resolution process, such as mediation, to the extent that it is appropriate to do so. Parents also have a legal duty to protect their children from the harm of parental conflict under both federal and provincial legislation. Mediation can help people meet these legal duties.

Mediation is child focused. Where participants have children, the focus of the mediation process remains on the best interests of the children involved.

Mediation allows participants to maintain control over their negotiations and the final outcome of the process, and to create customized resolutions. This is in contrast to the court process where a judge unfamiliar with the participants or their children makes decisions for them and is bound by the one-size fits all legal model in doing so.

In contrast to adversarial processes such as court, the goals of the mediation process are to minimize conflict, and uphold peace and respect between participants. As a result, mediation is generally much more time-efficient and cost-effective in contrast to other process options.

Mediation may also improve communication between participants. This is particularly important in family circumstances where people often have an ongoing stake in their relationship, such as when they must continue to co-parent their children together in their future.

Mediation minimizes the emotional stress for the parties involved. With a trained, kind and compassionate mediator, a safe space is created in the mediation process to give parties an equal voice in communicating their goals and interests, without engaging stressful and harmful in combat.

Certain circumstances may not lend themselves to mediation. For example, where there is a history of violence or power imbalance between the parties which cannot be compensated for in the design of the mediation process or where one person is unwilling to come to a resolution.

The first step in the mediation process is for both participants to participate in individual mediation screening interviews where the mediator asks questions to assess the suitability of mediation in the circumstances. The mediator will advise if mediation cannot proceed, and may be able to assist with referrals to other professionals who can better assist.

If you want to mediate, but you haven’t yet broached the subject, it’s important to go into this conversation with no expectations of a decision being made. The other person will need time to think about such an important decision. They will probably need their own information on mediation including costs, timing and process.

We can help with that. Simply contact us and we can provide you and the other person with the information and supporting materials you need to make a united decision to move forward with mediation.