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Resolving conflict with compassion
What is family mediation?
About
Family mediation is a process that is voluntary and confidential. Depending on your situation, among other things, we will establish the modalities of sharing parental time and parental decision-making responsibilities, determine child support payments and/or spousal payments; as well as, proceed with division of assets. This service is accessible to legally married couples and de facto spouses. When the couple reaches an agreement, the mediator provides the former spouses with a summary of everything agreed upon. It is always recommended for each partner to acquire an independent legal opinion before finalizing all the points of agreement.
For more information on the family mediation program, please visit the website of the Ministère de la Justice du Québec at www.justice.gouv.qc.ca
My mediation services are offered virtually and through the Quebec Ministry of Justice program.
What does this mean?
The benefit of free sessions!
Spouses with Children
Thanks to the subsidy offered by the Quebec Ministry of Justice, spouses who share dependent children have access to five (5) hours free of charge when consulting in family mediation for the first time.
An additional two and half (2.5) hours are offered free of charge when requesting the review of a previous judgement or separation agreement.
Spouses
Spouses without dependent children have access to three (3) hours free of charge to deal with issues; such as, the division of assets following their separation.
The Process
Step 1: Evaluation of your situation
The mediator will explain the process of mediation and their mandate. He/she assesses the situation and helps to define the issues that will be discussed.
Step 2: Negotiations
The mediator offers support in planning for the family's new reality and in resolving disagreements.
Step 3: Summary of agreements
The mediator will provide a Summary of Agreements, in writing, containing the matters that were agreed upon. This document is neither a judgment nor a contract, and it may or may not be legalised, depending on the preference of the former spouses. To ensure that the Summary of Agreements has legal value, the former spouse(s) must take steps after mediation to have the agreement sanctioned in Superior Court. Former spouses can take this step themselves or hire a lawyer or notary do it for them.
It is important to note, that though possible, some spouses will require more hours than subsidized by the government to come to an agreement. In these circumstances, the mediator will charge the same Ministerial hourly rate (130$ per hour).