Mediation is quickly becoming a well-known alternative to using lawyers to negotiate a separation because of the many advantages the process offers. Mediation is also a voluntary process so clients that are comfortable working with their lawyer can still regularly consult them while engaged in mediation to negotiate with their former partner directly. It is also an option to have lawyers attend mediation and meet with me. Consider the following reasons to choose mediation and if the process may be right for you:
Mediation is focused on settlement:
As your mediator I’m a neutral third party that works for both of you and is focused on helping you reach a fair settlement. Each lawyer’s job is to only represent the best interests of their client, and by only arguing that position they often miss options for settlement that could work for all involved. This positioning easily becomes acrimonious as lawyers are typically only considering their client’s point of view and are communicating in one-sided letters that can be easily create conflict when they don’t understand the whole picture. Rather than getting a settlement, clients often come to mediation reporting that working with lawyers made things worse.
Separation naturally creates disagreement. But resolving a disagreement doesn’t necessarily require one person to win and the other to lose. As your mediator, I identify the issues underneath the conflict and keep discussions focused on finding workable solutions. I can help you move past positions that aren’t getting you anywhere and explore different ways of resolving the problem. My goal isn’t simply to get an agreement signed. I want to help you resolve the issues that brought you to mediation in a way that allows both of you to move forward with greater clarity and less ongoing conflict.
Mediation is an efficient process that takes less time and money:
Separation doesn’t need to take years. My role is to identify what needs to be resolved and help you work through those issues in an organized way. We focus on what information is needed, where you agree, where you don’t, and what options may allow you to reach a settlement. Communication happens in scheduled meetings where matters can be discussed efficiently rather than back and forth emails with weeks or even months in between. Issues that could take months of emails can often be completely resolved with a brief discussion. Most files are completely settled within 2-4 months.
This efficiency reduces overall costs. My hourly rate is less than most lawyers, I’m billing you far less time that it would take in the traditional legal process, and you’re paying one person rather than two lawyers. As such, mediation is almost always going to be a small fraction of the cost of using lawyers.
In mediation you both maintain control of the process:
As a mediator I don’t impose an outcome or make decisions for you. I help you understand the issues, facilitate productive discussions, identify options and work toward agreements that both of you can accept. If your case goes to court, a judge can ultimately make decisions about your finances, property or children. Neither of you controls what that outcome will be. Even without court many clients come to mediation after feeling that they were losing control with lawyers that didn’t seem to listen to their needs, and didn’t have the availability to give their matter the attention they needed.
Mediation allows for detailed parenting plans:
Parenting after separation involves much more than deciding where the children will live. I help parents work through parenting time and schedules, holidays, school decisions, extracurricular activities and sports, medical decisions, travel, communication, children’s changing needs and how future decisions will be made. These practical issues can have an enormous impact on day-to-day co-parenting, but many are not issues a court can realistically manage in detail. Parenting mediation gives us the time and space to work through those concerns and develop arrangements that reflect your children, your schedules and the realities of your family.
Is Mediation Right for Your Separation?
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you contact me. Part of my role is helping you identify what needs to be resolved, what information you need and what the next steps should be.
Whether you’re just beginning a separation, have already been negotiating through lawyers, need help resolving a specific parenting disagreement, or are dealing with complicated financial circumstances, mediation may give you a more practical path forward. I provide online family mediation throughout Ontario for separation and divorce, including parenting, support, property and complex financial matters. My practice is based in Grimsby, but I offer all services online and work with clients throughout Niagara, Hamilton, St. Catharines and across Ontario through virtual mediation.
Book a No-Fee Consultation and we can talk about your situation and whether mediation is the right process for you.