So you have read over the information on this website and have decided to try mediation! Congratulations! Here is what you need to do now:
1. Documents
The first thing you need to do is complete the information on this page and send it to us. Please read and sign the Agreement to Mediate. You and the other person/people involved will also need to complete the Preliminary Intake Form. Please email or fax the completed intake form and the signing page of the Agreement to Mediate to valerie@riverdalemediation.com. (We will have you sign a full copy of the agreement when you come in for your intake meeting.)
2. Intake meeting
Once it is decided who you will be meeting with, we will schedule your intake meetings. Each person participating in the mediation must meet individually, privately and confidentially with the mediator before the process can begin. This individual meeting is an important part of the mediation process; it helps us ensure that the case is an appropriate one for mediation, and also helps you and us know whether any steps need to be taken before you can have a productive and effective mediation. It also ensures that the right person has been assigned to your case. This meeting lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.
Please note that we have several interns working at Riverdale Mediation. An intern is assigned to every file. Interns will observe and often participate in the mediation process in accordance with their background, skill and ability. The same intern will be assigned to a case from beginning to end. Our interns are governed by the same strict confidentiality and professional standards as our mediators.
You can schedule your meeting by checking the available dates of the mediator on the website and then sending an e-mail to appointments@riverdalemediation.com to set it up.
3. Bring a cheque!
We charge a flat rate for the intakes; the rate varies depending on the person conducting the meeting. Our fee schedule is here.
Please bring a cheque with you (or cash) for all meetings. We do not accept credit cards. We do not require retainers from our clients; but we do require you to “pay as you go.” That is how we are able to operate without requiring large retainers, unlike most other mediators, who require retainers. Note as well that we do not charge you for our time setting up meetings; exchanging information and requests via email; or telephone conversations. We consider this to be part of the good service we are providing.
4. What if I want my lawyer to come?
Often, mediations are arranged by the lawyers, on behalf of their clients. Sometimes the client wants his or her lawyer present for the intake meetings and for some or all of the mediation. This is perfectly acceptable; we always like to have your lawyer involved as much as you want your lawyer involved.
5. Schedule the first full mediation.
Your first “joint” meeting will be set up for a time that is convenient for the clients and the mediator. Again you can check dates, together, online, and send your preferred choices to appointments@riverdalemediation.com. If the mediation is being scheduled by the lawyers, we ask that they too check the online calendar of the mediator, together, so that we can know the dates and times that work best for both lawyers and their clients. We will do our best to accommodate your preferences. Please note that we generally schedule morning mediations from 10 am-1 pm and afternoon mediations from 2 pm-5 pm. We generally do not start a mediation later than 2 pm or earlier than 10 am. We do not schedule mediations on weekends.
B. Family Mediation-Arbitration and Arbitration
1. Follow Steps 1-5 Above
All clients choosing family arbitration will follow steps 1-5 above. All parties attending arbitration processes are required, by law, to first participate in “screening” for power imbalances, including domestic violence and abuse, before signing the Arbitration Agreement. For mediation-arbitration processes, we conduct our own screening process, and it forms part of the individual intake meetings described above. For arbitration-alone processes, we will provide the lawyers with the names of the third party “screeners” with whom we work, and you will need to each meet separately with this person before signing the Arbitration Agreement.
2. Sign the Arbitration Agreement
The lawyers must finalize the Arbitration Agreement before the first full mediation meeting takes place. This agreement is found here; the parties and their lawyers will need to review and finalize this template to accord with the process they wish to apply to them. It will probably take the lawyers at least a week or two to finalize this agreement, so make sure you leave enough time for them to do so. Once the agreement is signed, the mediator-arbitrator and the lawyers/parties will meet in person or by phone to determine the procedural details of the arbitration process.
3. Provide a Retainer
Unlike family mediation, in arbitration or mediation-arbitration we DO require retainers. The amount will be determined after the individual intake meetings.
C. Civil Mediation
Please check the calendar on the website and then contact appointments@riverdalemedation.com to schedule your mediation. Once the mediator is assigned to the file there will be a conference call among counsel and/or the parties to determine preparatory requirements. Please review and sign the Civil Agreement to Mediate and send it to valerie@riverdalemediation.com.
“Thank-you so much for making this a simple, clear negotiation. No fuss, no muss. I hope that is the last you will see of us in a professional capacity.”
Getting Started
A. Family Mediation
So you have read over the information on this website and have decided to try mediation! Congratulations! Here is what you need to do now:
1. Documents
The first thing you need to do is complete the information on this page and send it to us. Please read and sign the Agreement to Mediate. You and the other person/people involved will also need to complete the Preliminary Intake Form. Please email or fax the completed intake form and the signing page of the Agreement to Mediate to valerie@riverdalemediation.com. (We will have you sign a full copy of the agreement when you come in for your intake meeting.)
2. Intake meeting
Once it is decided who you will be meeting with, we will schedule your intake meetings. Each person participating in the mediation must meet individually, privately and confidentially with the mediator before the process can begin. This individual meeting is an important part of the mediation process; it helps us ensure that the case is an appropriate one for mediation, and also helps you and us know whether any steps need to be taken before you can have a productive and effective mediation. It also ensures that the right person has been assigned to your case. This meeting lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.
Please note that we have several interns working at Riverdale Mediation. An intern is assigned to every file. Interns will observe and often participate in the mediation process in accordance with their background, skill and ability. The same intern will be assigned to a case from beginning to end. Our interns are governed by the same strict confidentiality and professional standards as our mediators.
You can schedule your meeting by checking the available dates of the mediator on the website and then sending an e-mail to appointments@riverdalemediation.com to set it up.
3. Bring a cheque!
We charge a flat rate for the intakes; the rate varies depending on the person conducting the meeting. Our fee schedule is here.
Please bring a cheque with you (or cash) for all meetings. We do not accept credit cards. We do not require retainers from our clients; but we do require you to “pay as you go.” That is how we are able to operate without requiring large retainers, unlike most other mediators, who require retainers. Note as well that we do not charge you for our time setting up meetings; exchanging information and requests via email; or telephone conversations. We consider this to be part of the good service we are providing.
4. What if I want my lawyer to come?
Often, mediations are arranged by the lawyers, on behalf of their clients. Sometimes the client wants his or her lawyer present for the intake meetings and for some or all of the mediation. This is perfectly acceptable; we always like to have your lawyer involved as much as you want your lawyer involved.
5. Schedule the first full mediation.
Your first “joint” meeting will be set up for a time that is convenient for the clients and the mediator. Again you can check dates, together, online, and send your preferred choices to appointments@riverdalemediation.com. If the mediation is being scheduled by the lawyers, we ask that they too check the online calendar of the mediator, together, so that we can know the dates and times that work best for both lawyers and their clients. We will do our best to accommodate your preferences. Please note that we generally schedule morning mediations from 10 am-1 pm and afternoon mediations from 2 pm-5 pm. We generally do not start a mediation later than 2 pm or earlier than 10 am. We do not schedule mediations on weekends.
B. Family Mediation-Arbitration and Arbitration
1. Follow Steps 1-5 Above
All clients choosing family arbitration will follow steps 1-5 above. All parties attending arbitration processes are required, by law, to first participate in “screening” for power imbalances, including domestic violence and abuse, before signing the Arbitration Agreement. For mediation-arbitration processes, we conduct our own screening process, and it forms part of the individual intake meetings described above. For arbitration-alone processes, we will provide the lawyers with the names of the third party “screeners” with whom we work, and you will need to each meet separately with this person before signing the Arbitration Agreement.
2. Sign the Arbitration Agreement
The lawyers must finalize the Arbitration Agreement before the first full mediation meeting takes place. This agreement is found here; the parties and their lawyers will need to review and finalize this template to accord with the process they wish to apply to them. It will probably take the lawyers at least a week or two to finalize this agreement, so make sure you leave enough time for them to do so. Once the agreement is signed, the mediator-arbitrator and the lawyers/parties will meet in person or by phone to determine the procedural details of the arbitration process.
3. Provide a Retainer
Unlike family mediation, in arbitration or mediation-arbitration we DO require retainers. The amount will be determined after the individual intake meetings.
C. Civil Mediation
Please check the calendar on the website and then contact appointments@riverdalemedation.com to schedule your mediation. Once the mediator is assigned to the file there will be a conference call among counsel and/or the parties to determine preparatory requirements. Please review and sign the Civil Agreement to Mediate and send it to valerie@riverdalemediation.com.