MDW Law in Halifax is pleased to offer services in mediation. Our skilled team of family law lawyers have years of combined expertise in the art of negotiating disputes outside of the court process. We run all of our mediations with two skilled lawyers as co-mediators so that participants get the benefit of two negotiators working to resolve conflict.
Mediation in family matters is a voluntary process. MDW Law mediators will help parties make decisions and reach agreements on such issues as custody, access, support, maintenance and property. Mediation is a flexible and cost-effective process to deal with disputes in a way that allows the participants to have a greater say in the decisions made about their families.
Mediation has a number of potential benefits:
- Court can be avoided.
- It can save time and money.
- The parties have a greater say in the decisions that are made.
- It may improve communication between the parties.
- It is a private process.
- The parties have flexibility in booking sessions.
- The process is voluntary and can be ended at any time.
How does mediation work?
During pre-mediation, each party will meet with an MDW Law mediator alone to discuss if mediation is a suitable option. The parties will be advised as to what financial and other disclosure will be required to prior to the commencement of mediation.
If mediation is deemed appropriate and beneficial, the parties will sign an Agreement to Mediate. A mediation session will then be booked at which the co-mediators will help identify the parties’ needs, interests and concerns. The mediator remains neutral, but helps the parties discuss, consider, develop and evaluate options that meet each party’s needs in a compromising and acceptable way.
Often times parties attend for more than one mediation session. This will depend on the circumstances of each case. Once a settlement is reached, the mediators will prepare a summary of the agreement reached, which will then be taken to a lawyer for independent legal advice.
To learn how MDW Law’s team of co-mediators can help you, please contact us at our Halifax office to arrange a meeting.