AVOID A COURTROOM BATTLE WITH family mediation in Kamloops

The costs of going to court can be high, and there is no guarantee as to the results. An increasing number of Canadians and Kamloops residents are turning to family mediation in order to resolve with family law problems rather than through litigation.

What is Family Mediation?

Family mediation involves you and your partner meeting with trained family mediator in order to resolve parenting, separation, and/or divorce issues. It is something to try before starting a court case or at any time throughout your case in Kamloops.

Benefits of family mediation may include:

• You can work out your own solution without involving the court
• It can help both parties to work on communication and problem solving, thus reducing potential future conflicts
• It keeps a focus on your children’s best interests 
• Potentially less costly than going to court
• A more informal setting and is private, unlike court
• It is voluntary so you can leave at any time

In order for family mediation to work, you must be interested in working with and communicating with the other party in order to find solutions for you and your family. If you cannot communicate your needs or listen to the other party’s concerns, mediation will not work for you.

When you work with a mediator, you will be able to work on solutions for issues such as,

• How and when to separate
• Custody and access when it comes to parenting
• Child support
• Spousal and/or partner support
• Division of property and assets

What Does the Mediator Do?

A mediator is not a replacement for a lawyer. They cannot give legal advice, take sides, or make any decisions for you or the other party. Their role is strictly to assist all parties in finding a solution that is fair and lasting. It is suggested that you seek out legal advice before going into mediation and to retain it throughout as you should know your legal rights and obligations.

In order to choose a family mediator, all parties involved must agree on who it will be. You can find a family mediator in private practices, such as Soll and Company, or through community groups and counselling organizations. When choosing a family mediator, you should be considering things such as their professional background, the type and how much training related to your issues, how the mediation fees are set and paid, and scheduling of time and dates for sessions.

Our lawyers are certified and trained in family mediation for the Kamloops area. We can help you work through the often painful and difficult process of negotiation towards an out-of-court agreement. This approach to family law helps keep costs down and allows our clients to focus on the issues that matter to them. Not every problem can be dealt with through family law mediation, but many cases can benefit from this more flexible and cost-efficient approach.

What to Expect from Family Mediation

The mediator will have confidential meetings with each party before any mediation meetings begin in order to understand each party’s interests and goals as well as to adapt the process to those needs. Afterwards, one or more joint sessions take place in order to reach agreements on the issues at hand. If successful, no litigation is necessary. If not, litigation must commence.

To start the process, see if the other side is open to mediation to settle your issues, either directly or through your lawyer.