Family Divorce Mediation in Mississauga, ON
Mississauga Divorce Mediation Services
If you are separating or divorcing in Mississauga, you may want to consider our divorce mediation services. Divorce mediation is an alternative to the adversarial court process.
We have been assisting couples with their separation and divorce since 2008. Some of the benefits of using our divorce mediation and Separation Agreement services are:
- Save Time
- Save Money
- Reduce Stress
What is Divorce Mediation?
Divorce can be difficult and challenging. Divorce mediation is a less hostile alternative to traditional divorce proceedings, designed to make the entire process less complicated.
During Divorce Mediation, we create an environment that allows for both parties to reach an agreement in the presence of a neutral, Accredited Family Mediator, certified by The Ontario Association for Family Mediation. The process is collaborative, and helps both people find a common ground on different aspects of their separation, from financial matters to the parenting of your children.
Divorce mediation concludes with a legally binding Agreement, which offers a clear path forward for both you and your spouse.
Benefits of Divorce Mediation
- Cost-Effective: Avoid the high expenses of court proceedings. Our mediation process involves a single mediator, significantly reducing costs, compared to hiring individual attorneys.
- Privacy Assured: Mediation keeps your personal matters confidential, unlike public court hearings
- Time-Saving: Mediation accelerates the agreement process. Unlike the lengthy court battles, our direct negotiation approach lets you decide the timeline.
- Relationship Preservation: Our mediation fosters civil resolutions, helping maintain positive relationships post-divorce.
- Personal Control: You have the power to decide on the terms of your separation, offering more personal satisfaction than court-imposed decisions.
- Flexible Solutions: Personalize your Agreement to fit your unique family needs, a flexibility not possible in court.
Role of Separation Agreements in Divorce Mediation
A Separation Agreement is a binding contract between spouses, outlining the terms of their separation, including asset division, debt responsibility, family support and parenting arrangement
Is a Separation Agreement Legally Binding in Mississauga, Ontario?
For a Separation Agreement to be legally binding:
- Both parties must provide each other with full financial disclosure.
- Both parties must have a clear understanding of the terms.
- Both parties must agree to the terms outlined in the Agreement.
- It must also be signed, dated and witnessed by a 3rd party.
As Accredited Family Mediators, We Can Guide You Through
Child Support Calculations
All parents are legally obligated to support their children financially, regardless of their marital status or living arrangements. Child support covers essential living costs such as food, clothing, personal care, and primary and secondary educational expenses.
Our mediators will calculate the monthly child support, including any special or extraordinary costs, ensuring an equitable contribution towards your child’s needs.
Parenting Plans
A Parenting Plan is a roadmap for co-parenting after separation/divorce, designed to suit your family’s unique needs. It covers residential schedules, holiday arrangements, education, extracurricular activities, healthcare, travel, and parent communication. Creating a Parenting Plan can minimize future conflicts, foster stability, and provide clear guidelines. It also details the protocols for any future adjustments, for smooth parenting transitions.
Spousal Support Calculations
Spousal Support involves financial payments from one spouse to another after separation or divorce. Eligibility and amounts depend on various factors, unique to each marital or common-law situation.
Since calculating spousal support is complex, we do our best to simplify this process, offering guidance and information to help you reach a mutual agreement.
Property and Financial Settlements
Property division in separation often involves the higher-asset spouse making an “equalization payment” to balance out assets with the lower-asset spouse. These assets can take the form of homes, vehicles, bank accounts, investments, pensions, and businesses, along with debts like mortgages and loans.
Our mediators specialize in guiding you through this process, avoiding costly financial errors, leading to an equitable property equalization.
Legal Requirements for Divorce in Mississauga, Ontario
Divorce legally ends a marriage and allows for the parties to remarry. Grounds for divorce are limited to ‘marital breakdown’, demonstrated by living separately for a year, adultery, or cruelty. Most divorces are filed after a year’s separation.
A Separation Agreement alone doesn’t grant a divorce. To obtain a divorce, an application must be filed with a court in Canada. We assist couples in drafting and filing a Joint Divorce Application, streamlining the process towards official divorce proceedings.
Simplify Your Divorce With Our Expertly Drafted Separation Agreements
Book a FREE 30-minute, joint, online consultation to learn more about the mediation process and how we can support you through your separation and/or divorce.
EXCELLENTBased on 28 reviewsTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Caro L.Milo21/08/2023THIS IS THE STARTING POINT OF THE BEST FUTURE YOU'LL HAVE. Positive Solutions provided us with so many improved ideas, optimised plans and informed decisions regarding our divorce. A big plus is how Dana is beautiful inside out. As our mediator, she walked us through with an open spirit and tangible compassion. Communications were so fast. She made all tension dissolve gracefully and with intelligence, and seriously, the choice of having a mediator like her holds, in many ways, more importance than that maid of honor we had picked for that cursed wedding we had! ha!ha! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHINGTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.steve crouse08/06/2023Positive solutions help guide us through the separation, Dana is an amazing person, she is very kind and understanding of the situation, she made this a very easy process for me Thank you Dana and Positive Solutions for all your helpTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Eon Mac23/04/2023Bev was very professional , knowledgeable and patient throughout the mediation. I would recommend Positive Solutions for anyone trying to navigate this difficult process.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Lisa Dore27/01/2023Bev was so amazing to work with. She was caring, clear and concise. She was organized and straight to the point and got things done in a timely manner. I wouldn’t hesitate to use her services again.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Rob Duivenvoorde15/07/2022Pleasant, comforting, understanding informative and thorough experience. This very stressful process and life altering event was carfully guided by Bev's caring nature. Thank you so muchTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Rachel Culnan14/07/2022Bev always came to meetings with a smile and a positive attitude. I had no idea what to expect from this process, and Bev made the process easy to go through. She didn't make me feel sad or vulnerable. I would recommend Positive Solutions to any couple that wants to separate in a positive way.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Abby Cass24/01/2022Bev was amazing to work with and I would recommend her services. Bev approached each of our meetings with expert knowledge and understanding. During a very stressful situation, Bev made the process a bit less heavy with her kindness and overall respect for us as clients. Highly recommend.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Nicole Dauz20/09/2021Bev made the process pleasant and I was very happy with the timelines and how the agreement came together.
Additional Resources on Separation and Divorce in Mississauga
Here are some useful links to help you get started with your Mississauga separation agreement or divorce mediation:
Some cool facts about Mississauga that you probably did not know:
Mississauga is a city situated on the western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. It has a population of 717,961 as of 2021.
The growth of Mississauga was attributed to its proximity to Toronto. During the latter half of the 20th century, the city attracted a multicultural population and built up a thriving central business district. It is home to Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada’s busiest airport, as well as the headquarters of many Canadian and multinational corporations.
The name Mississauga comes from the Anishinaabe word Misi-zaagiing, meaning “Those at the Great River-mouth”.
For full details about Mississauga and it’s history, visit the
Mississauga Wikipedia page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Separation Agreements in Mississauga
In such circumstances, it’s advisable to consult a lawyer. A legal professional can provide clarity on your legal rights and options, guiding you on the appropriate steps to proceed.
A Separation Agreement is considered valid and enforceable if the document is signed by both parties, witnessed and dated. Having a Separation Agreement notarized is not necessary unless required by a financial institution or other outside service provider.
Getting a divorce does not require a Separation Agreement in Mississauga, however, you will need to have certain arrangements in place prior to completing an Application for Divorce. If there are children involved, the courts will want to see proof of the residential and financial arrangements for the children and in some cases, the property settlement arrangements, before granting a divorce.
Separation Agreements are legally binding once they have been properly executed by both parties and meet the legal requirements of the Divorce Act and Family Law Act. For a Separation Agreement to be legally binding, it needs to be:
- In writing
- Voluntary, without coercion or duress
- Inclusive of full financial disclosure
- Fair and equitable
- Signed, witnessed and dated
The mediator will work with the parties to negotiate the terms of their separation. Once the negotiations have been completed the mediator can then write the terms into an Agreement, which the parties can sign or take to their lawyers for independent legal advice.
In general, witnesses to a Separation Agreement should be impartial individuals who do not have anything to gain from the Agreement itself. These may include the following:
- Legal or other professionals
- Friends or family members (preferably not children of the marriage)
- Any person of legal age and mentally competent
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that the witnesses can verify the authenticity of the signatures on the document and attest that they observed the parties signing the agreement willingly and without coercion.
Even though Separation Agreements are meant to be final and decided by the parties involved, a court could potentially invalidate such an agreement later on, especially if there was coercion to sign, if the Agreement is unfair, or if the parties did not disclose full financial disclosure to each other.
Yes, in many cases, a family member can serve as a witness to a Separation Agreement, however, it’s essential to ensure that the family member is not directly involved in the agreement and does not have a vested interest in the outcome. Using a neutral family member as a witness can be acceptable, but it’s advisable to consult with a legal professional if you have any doubts.