Family & Divorce Mediation:
A safe place to have difficult conversations
We mediate cases in Toronto, the GTA, across Ontario and in other provinces now that all of our mediation work is online.
Family mediation is a private and confidential way to settle your family law matters without going to court and without having to pay lawyers to negotiate for you.
Why is our family mediation process so effective?
- Because it begins and ends with what is important to you and your family,
- Because it is respectful, non-judging and empowering and
- Because it is affordable, focused and informed.
Our experience has shown us again and again that what most people want is a reasonable opportunity to work out a settlement that they can both live with.
We work with both clients to maximize available resources for the benefit of your family. We have helped many hundreds of families mediate acceptable and even amicable outcomes since we opened our doors in 2001.
Agreeing to mediation does not mean you have to be in the same room with the other party or even speak with them. We will find out how you will be most comfortable and effective as a negotiator and structure your mediation to meet your needs and those of the other person.
Our priority is to empower each person to be able to reach the best agreement they can for themselves and their children, in the best way possible for them.
If a settlement is reached in mediation, we can draft either an outline of the terms of settlement (known as a Mediation Summary Report) or, if both clients will be seeking Independent Legal Advice, a draft domestic contract such as a Separation Agreement.
Your Child’s Voice is Important!
In all our mediations involving children, we take a strong child-centred approach.
Our mediators are skilled at ensuring that the views and preferences of every child are appropriate considered in mediations involving them.
Where the parents agree about what is best for their children, we will ensure that this perspective it is noted and respected appropriately.
Where parents cannot agree, we will ask the parents for their views on the best way to include the voice of their children in the mediation, and can also recommend a range of options if asked.
We encourage parents to agree on the best option for them and their children. Options can include:
- having a trained professional interview the children and report back to the mediator and clients
- working with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer
- jointly retaining a professional assessor
- agreeing on counselling for the children
- hearing from teachers, medical professionals or other important professionals in the child’s life
- involving extended family and/or community members in the mediation
- including other culturally relevant sources of information relating to the children.
Mediation can allow creative and informative ways for parents and their children to seek and share information about the best interests of each child, with the goal of reaching parenting plans that are appropriate for each child in their own circumstances.