Welcome to my mediation practice

Mediation is a process in which a conversation or series of conversations between two or more people involved in a conflict facilitated by someone with the training, confidence, and emotional maturity. The mediator supports this process by gathering the necessary information, preparing the parties to mediate, and facilitating joint sessions by holding a well-contained space and asking the right questions in order to help those in conflict to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution that is both unique to their needs and in line with the relevant legal requirements. Mediators do not provide the solutions to a conflict, they facilitate them.

Mediation has two major advantages over litigation. Firstly, unlike litigation, in which a judge has the final say over what will happen, you get to participate in crafting an outcome that speaks to your uniques situation and needs. Secondly, the emotional and financial costs of mediation are much less significant than those of litigation. Mediation is more cost effective and typically faster than a court process; and it is also much less emotionally damaging. Because mediation is not punitive, and its solutions are arrived at by consent, it doesn’t further embitter or destroy relationships, which is particularly important in cases where co-parenting is going to be necessary.

It is important to stress, however, that mediation is not therapy. Mediation is a meticulously prepared and well-contained conversation in which we negotiate practical solutions to conflicts and problems. For example, parental alienation is a common problem in divorcing families: a meditated solution might look like an agreement between parents about how they speak about each other in front of their children. The solution is practical rather than therapeutic.