Mediation

I work with families going through separation and divorce to help them reach agreements tailored to their specific circumstances and needs.

This includes:

• developing detailed parenting plans
• working through how assets and debts will be divided
• figuring out what child and/or spousal support will be paid

I have experience dealing with difficult cases where complexity arises from complicated financial situations, including corporate assets, or from high conflict dynamics.

In BC you become legal spouses after living in a marriage-like relationship for two years. At that point, the laws related to the division of property apply to your relationship from the date you began living together. This is a surprise to many couples who have arranged their finances in a way that doesn’t fit with how property and debt are treated after separation under BC law.

With a Cohabitation Agreement, you can make decisions together to address many of the issues that you would have to deal with if your relationship were to end, avoiding future conflict and having productive conversations about your expectations for all possible futures.

In Elder Mediation, I work with families dealing with age-related concerns. Common themes emerging in the Elder Mediation process include decisions related to:

• end of life care and decision-making, including MAID
• managing care
• financial issues
• living arrangements

I offer both in-person and online services. This gives me the opportunity to work with people outside the Victoria area and to accommodate others who can’t or don’t wish to meet together in the same space.

I encourage anyone participating in family mediation to get legal advice so that they enter the process having a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities. The right lawyer can be a valuable resource in the mediation process, working with all participants to come up with creative options for resolution and helping their own client make tough decisions.

Although I am a lawyer, in my role as a mediator, I cannot give legal advice. I am happy to provide referrals to lawyers who will work with you as problems solvers.

I work with some individuals and families who chose to participate in mediation without a lawyer. If that is the path you take, I can give you guidance about how to prepare for mediation.

Preparing for mediation typically involves:

• Separate pre-mediation meetings with each participant – These typically last for about an hour. In these meetings, I talk to you about how mediation works so you know what to expect during the mediation process. It is also an opportunity for me to learn about you and your situation.
• Sharing Information – Before the mediation, I work with you to make sure that all the information that is needed to make good decisions is identified and shared. In a family mediation, this includes financial disclosure.

The mediation can take place in one day or over several days.