Mediation

Areas of Mediation Service

Family 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.

Cohabitation Agreements

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.

Elder Mediation

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

How Services are Delivered

In Person and Online

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.

Participation of Lawyers

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.

Preparation

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.

FAQs

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a problem-solving process where you and the other person or people make decisions together with the help of a neutral third party.

What does the mediator do?

A mediator helps you and the other person work together to reach agreement. A mediator cannot give legal advice to either party.

You’re a lawyer, can you give me legal advice?

Even though I am a lawyer, when acting as a mediator, I cannot give legal advice. I can provide legal information, which is general information about the law but, does not include how the law applies to your particular situation.

Do I have to have a lawyer?

Since a mediator can’t give legal advice, it’s best to get legal advice before attending a mediation so you know what your rights and obligations are before you sit down together to come up with solutions. It is also invaluable to have a lawyer review the draft separation agreement that results from a successful mediation.

Each mediation is different: sometimes lawyers attend the mediation and sometimes people come on their own. Elder Mediations don’t usually involve lawyers.

If you decide not to retain a lawyer, I can give you guidance about how to prepare for mediation.

If you would like to retain a lawyer, I can help you find a lawyer who will support you in the mediation process.

How do I get a written agreement?

Either the mediator or your lawyer will draft a separation agreement reflecting what you have agreed to at the mediation.

An agreement reached at mediation is binding. It can be filed in court and enforceable just like a court order.

How much does it cost?

I charge $375 an hour for mediation and that cost is usually shared equally by the parties. The total cost of mediation depends on the time spent.

If I am interested, what should I do?

You can send me a message and ask to book a time for phone call to learn more about the mediation process and my availability.