The more it matters, the harder it is to talk about.

Separating, or not getting along with someone you work with, or having issues with your siblings….these are all things that can affect our daily life and our sense of peace.

A mediator can help.

Mediators are trained to help people have a difficult conversation by showing them how to hear to what is really important to the other person. It is difficult to really listen to someone else when it seems like what they want threatens something you value.

The process works like this.

The mediator will meet with each of you privately, in an intake appointment of approximately one hour, so they can understand what really matters to you, what you’re worried about, how you typically resolve conflicts, and in other words, how they can best help you have this discussion and work out the issues. The mediator will also make sure you have the right information on which to base your decisions, like information about parenting plans, how support works, or how property is divided.

In the mediation session, the mediator will either have you speak together or potentially stay in separate rooms if that would be too hard for you. The sessions are typically two or three hours, and generally people need at least two sessions to work everything through.

 FAQs

  • Many mediations resolve in two sessions. Occasionally more sessions are required, whether to consider your position, or perhaps try out a parenting arrangement and see if it worked for you. Mediation is very efficient, with most people completely resolving the issues arising from their separation within a few months.

  • Although your mediation will give you the legal information you need to make decisions, it is always a good idea to have a consultation with a lawyer to get advice. The issue sometimes is timing and to which lawyer. Lawyers who frequently work with clients in mediation are really helpful with giving some guidance before the sessions and then helping get things legalized afterwards. It’s important to choose lawyers who work with mediation well. We can help you with that.

    Working in mediation is like doing the heavy lifting so that it is not so enormously expensive as using lawyers for your whole situation, only having to compromise in the end in any event. Your mediation will discuss legal advice with you in your intake appointment.

  • The Mediation Report is not binding until you either sign it in front of witnesses or take it to a lawyer to have it formally drafted into a Separation Agreement. It can be confusing knowing which you need and we will help you with that. We also have lawyers who work with us to prepare Separation Agreements for an inexpensive amount.

  • A divorce is an administrative action required to remarry. When you have worked out all of your issues in mediation, and you have been separated for a year, you can either have a lawyer file the divorce for you or you ask for a divorce in the online Ontario filing portal, saving those legal fees. We can provide that information to you.

  • We will send you a letter detailing the kind of information you may need to gather, like income tax, paystub, lists of assets and debts, etc. We will also guide you to some good parenting resources so you can think about what you may want to include in your parenting plan. Emotionally, in your intake session your mediation will help you process the feelings you may be experiencing and give you some more helpful tips on preparing for the negotiation that the mediator will guide you through.