Divorce Mediation Services by Accredited Family Mediators in Pickering, ON
Pickering, Divorce Mediation & Separation Agreements
If you are separating or divorcing in Pickering, 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.
As Accredited Family Mediators in Pickering, We Can Guide You Through
For divorce, 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 Pickering, 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.
Additional Resources on Separation and Divorce in Pickering
Here are some useful links to help you get started with your Pickering separation agreement or divorce mediation:
Some cool facts about Pickering that you probably did not know:
The present-day Pickering was Aboriginal territory for thousands of years. The Wyandot (called the Huron by Europeans), who spoke an Iroquoian language, were the historical people living here in the 15th century.
The conversion of a local trail into the Kingston Road in 1799 contributed greatly to the increased settlement in the area. Several sawmills, gristmills, taverns, and other businesses operated in the area. During the War of 1812, the maintenance of the Kingston Road improved because of the increased military traffic and further contributed to the development of the area.
In the 2021 Census, Pickering had a population of 99,186.
For full details about Pickering and it’s history, visit the
Pickering Wikipedia page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Separation Agreements in Pickering
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 Pickering, 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.
