Author Archives: Riverdale Mediation

As a mediator, mediation and negotiation trainer, and provider of court-connected dispute resolution services, issues of professionalism and professional ethics arise often in my work. Although professionalism cross all legal and dispute resolution cultures and contexts, they may arise more often in the family law context, where the drivers of conflict are often personal and historical. Lawyers, dispute resolution professionals …
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The steps that family/collaborative lawyers, mediators and arbitrators can take, based on informed screening to enhance client safety are explained in part 3 of this blog series.

The ways in which family negotiations are done is in the midst of a major shift. Family law professionals must be prepared to use a variety of tools to ensure a safe and equitable process. Part 2 of this blog series suggests more tips for safety planning in high-risk cases. 11.Ensure that the confidentiality of safety disclosures, in all processes, …
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The following excerpt from “Safety Planning in Family Law Cases: An Emerging Duty of Care for Lawyers?” is part 1 of a 3 part series which offers some helpful suggestions for safety planning and screening in high-risk cases.   Take all clients through extensive screening interviews before choosing a dispute resolution process and a professional to provide that process. Ensure …
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  FDRIO’s recent Unconference on May 4th introduced legal professionals to the perspective of LGBTQ+ parents in family law. Guest speakers touched on struggles faced by LGBTQ+ families in family law, including; fertility and what that means for coordinating parent access, child custody and parent decision making. With transgender parents, one or both parents might not be biologically connected to the …
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The Superior Court of Justice has developed a new guide that provides information to litigants about each step in a family law case. For additional information to people who have a family law case in the courts, whether they have counsel or are unrepresented, refer to the mediate393 inc. website. The resources page has lots of information on several topics!

A new service for determining and adjusting child support for cooperative parents has been set up by the Ontario government. Under the new service, which launched April 4, either parent may apply online to use the service. The goal is to give parents who can cooperate with each other  an accessible and affordable way to establish and adjust child support …
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In this part 4 of this blog series, Hilary sets out four practical ethical “rules” which should be considered in mediation practice Four suggestions Given the unique vulnerability of family mediation clients, and taking what exists already in the form of codes of conduct for family mediators, the following is a set of practical ethical “rules” which should, in my view, be the minimum …
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