Jackie and Dave have two children, both under the age of 10. Jackie is a homemaker while Dave is the sole breadwinner. The family is currently in the process of separating with both parents wanting custody of the children.

Hesitant to go to court, and afraid of losing more time and money, Jackie and Dave decide to participate in mediation. At first it seems like they are going to make little progress because of their opposing ideas. Jackie thinks she deserves sole custody for having given up her career to become a stay-at-home mom, while Dave thinks they should have joint custody of the children. As the meetings progress, Dave learns that Jackie just needs to be acknowledged for her contributions. Jackie realizes Dave just wants to spend more time with the children. Dave also doesn’t want to continue paying spousal support indefinitely.

Once the couple starts listening to each other, apologies are exchanged, and words of gratitude are spoken by both parties. Dave communicates how thankful he is to Jackie for giving up her career and doing such a great job raising the kids. The last thing he wants is to take them away from her. Jackie also describes her appreciation to Dave for allowing her to comfortably stay at home and be with the children. The mediators assist the two in drafting a memorandum of understanding, which states that both parents agree to share custody of the children. Dave agrees to pay spousal support until Jackie finds a suitable job. Both parties take the memorandum of understanding to their respective lawyers, who then draft it into a legally-binding document.

“What was most impressive about this process was that my husband and I learned to effectively communicate and actively listen to each other.  The mediators helped us work cooperatively whenever things became frustrating.  In the end, we both walked away from the meeting feeling like winners."

Jackie, Mediation Client

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What We Do

The Family Mediation Service offers an opportunity to resolve conflict within families by providing a safe space for issues to be addressed.  Some of the issues may include: separation, parenting plans, sibling rivalry, parent-child conflicts, etc.  The goal of the process is to allow participants to identify the issues that are important for them and to negotiate possible solutions that will work best for everyone involved.  Two mediators act as neutral third parties to assist the participants in the process.

Why Choose Family Mediation Service

Conflict occurs in every family.  While it may seem minor on the surface, much of it is deeply rooted resulting in broken relationships. Family Mediation Service allows for open and honest communication between the parties, giving them the opportunity to rebuild trust and improve  their relationships.

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