Mediation
What is Family Mediation?
Mediation is a voluntary, consensual process that uses a trained, experienced, neutral third party to facilitate the negotiation of family law disputes. The goal of mediation is to reach a mutually agreed binding settlement agreement between the parties.
What are the Benefits of Mediation?
- Voluntary and Consensual Process – The result of mediation is a solution mutually agreed to by the parties.
- Control by the Parties – The parties remain in charge of the outcome, determining what terms they do or do not agree to.
- Opportunity for Better Results – The parties are in the best position to understand the unique issues in their dispute.
- Reduced Acrimony Between Parties – Which Also Can Benefit Children – Since the parties mutually agree to a mediated solution, it can result in less ongoing conflict and acrimony and help to preserve relationships, particularly with children. Unfortunately, high-conflict separations and divorces can adversely affect your children.
- Reduced Time and Expense – Mediation can be concluded more quickly and at less expense than litigation.
- High Degree of Compliance – Parties are highly likely to comply with a mutually agreed-mediated solution.
- Effective – More than 95% of matters mediated by Cheryl reach settlement.
- Private/Confidential – unlike family law proceedings in open court, mediation takes place in private, behind the closed doors of the mediator’s office, whether in person or virtually.
- Less Stressful – Mediation is less stressful than court proceedings and other dispute resolution methods and provides an excellent platform for compromise and amicable resolution.
Choosing the Right Mediator
While separation and divorce litigation may have broad general categories of disputed issues in common (such as the value, equalization, and division of property, parenting, custody, and child and spousal support), it is the circumstances, details, and personalities involved that make the dispute between parties unique. To increase the likelihood of successful mediation of seemingly irreconcilable differences, selecting a mediator who is trained, accredited, and experienced in family law mediation and issues is important. It is these attributes that define Cheryl as a mediator.
In addition to a keen sensitivity to the emotional and financial stress/distress of separation and divorce upon the parties and their children, Cheryl has nearly 40 years of experience as a family law lawyer and a Masters degree in counselling, is a Certified Family Law Specialist and is designated as an Accredited Family Mediator by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation and a Designated ADR Professional by the ADR Institute of Ontario. She is a mediator that can make a difference.
She is the recipient of many awards and accolades for her work and contributions in the area of Family Law, including the Ontario Bar Association’s Award For Excellence In Family Law, which is awarded to a single outstanding nominee annually.
