Mediation Practice

Family Mediation
The rational alternative
Mediation services are provided to clients before, during and after separation or divorce. Mediation helps clients to reach decisions concerning responsibilities that each individual will assume, both now and in the future; and help to determine, how they will share time with their children.


What is family mediation?
Family mediation is a process with an impartial third party who helps families identify and clarify issues between them, and assists them in coming to an agreement on some or all of these issues. The goal of successful family mediation is to help family members arrive at an agreement which is in the best interest of the family. It is very important for the family to maintain control and be involved in these important decisions. The parents are partners in decision making. Family mediation does not deal with fault, find blame, give legal advice, or make decisions for others. The mediation sessions are brief and usually involve 4-8 sessions.



Why family mediation?
A major difficulty in family law is that the problems brought by families are frequently not primarily legal problems; they are deep human problems in which the law is involved. Voluntary settlements which are worked out on an emotional as well as an intellectual level, are not only more humane than those forced by litigation, but are also more practical, economical and likely to endure.

Decisions reached by mutual agreement mean that neither party is the loser or has been taken advantage of, with the result that there is less likelihood of revenge erupting later and leading to new and prolonged legal battles.

Research studies have indicated that the over-whelming majority of families who come to mediation reach agreement on most of their issues.



We can help you with:

  • Feelings associated with ending the marriage
  • Post-divorce parenting plans
  • Explaining divorce to children
  • Property disputes
  • Financial issues
  • Working with lawyers as part of the mediation process


Benefits of mediation :

  • Less costly than litigation
  • Voluntary settlements, arrived at through the mediation process, take into consideration the emotions and needs of all family members
  • Children of concerned parents tend to maintain healthy, meaningful relationships with both parents - an important aspect of their adjustment after separation
  • Everyone benefits from mutual cooperation of family members... parents, their children, lawyers, judges, the system... and society!

Other areas of mediation provided include:
 
  • Arbitration
  • Family/business conflicts
  • Employment and workplace disputes
  • Extended family issues regarding elderly parents
  • Intra-organizational disputes
  • Community disputes
  • Landlord/Tenant disputes


    "When a marriage is over it is not a time for retribution and revenge, but rather the time to make a positive adjustment while providing for and protecting the children."

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Tel: (647)-220-7855
E-mail: howard.irving@sympatico.ca