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Our summer student Amelia Charles spent some time reaching out to the agencies and partners we work with as the family law information service provider in Toronto’s family courts. In this post we share information from the Ontario Ombudsman’s Office Do you have an issue with an Ontario provincial or municipal service? Are you having…

Our summer student Amelia Charles spent some time reaching out to the agencies and partners we work with as the family law information service provider in Toronto’s family courts. In this post we share information from The Action Group (TAG).   The Action Group on Access to Justice (TAG), in partnership with the Law Society…

Toronto’s family information and mediation service provider, Toronto Family Mediation Services (TFMS) is launching a partnership with the Family Justice Centre (FJC). This partnership provides streamlined access to legal support for qualified family mediation clients who do not have lawyers. A New Approach to Legal Assistance for Unrepresented Litigants and Separating Couples TFMS provides free mediation on-site, either in person…

By Amelia Charles Amelia Charles is our new summer student. She is at Toronto Metropolitan University working towards a degree in psychology. I have no history in law or mediation, yet I landed my first-ever job at a family law and mediation office working for mediate 393 this summer. This would be a fantastic opportunity…

Janet Jansen (Applicant) and David DiCecco (Respondent) had a long-standing battle over financial disclosure. After years of disagreements over the Respondent’s financial disclosure, Justice Sherr issued a decision on a motion that underscores the importance of ongoing full, frank disclosure for determining child support. Key Take Away from This Case Justice Sherr confirmed that the…

Countless survivors of intimate partner violence and family abuse require supports to navigate the family law court process. Unfortunately, they can meet several barriers to accessing those necessary supports along the way. Whether self-represented or with counsel, it can be difficult to find professionals who are properly educated in intimate partner violence and power imbalances.…

                By: Rhodes Thompson-Chase This post includes a detailed commentary on the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Anderson case. In a recent Saskatchewan case that made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada, a couple’s divorce proceedings became contentious when their original agreement was called…

We have our year-end stats and they tell a great story. Our onsite case loads dropped during the pandemic by far less than the provincial average. We believe this is because we were able to pivot quickly to effective online mediation in all three courts. (361 University for the Superior Court of Justice, and 311…

Our roster recently had the pleasure of hosting a Caselines “Lunch and Learn” Workshop presented by Lorna Yates. Below are 5 tips to help you work with Self Represented Litigants using Caselines. 1. Get into your case file: Use UPDATE CASE to get into your matter: it is much faster than REVIEW EVIDENCE and will…

At TFMS we work daily with the courts administration and judges to make our services more accessible to the public and helpful to them. Here are some things we have recently been doing: In February, Hilary Linton met with Lainie Basman, the new Counsel at the Office of the Chief Justice to discuss our services.…

  I had the pleasure to interview Kashmala Qasim, a PhD candidate in History, Theory and Critical Psychology and Operations Manager with the Khalil Center. Khalil Center is a psychological and spiritual community wellness center advancing the professional practice of psychology rooted in Islamic principles. The center works to address the widespread prevalence of social,…

                by Lindsay Kertland Parenting coordination (PC) is a dispute resolution process for parents who have a parenting plan in place and need help communicating with each other, interpreting the details of their plan and working through disagreements about it. Often a PC can help parents agree in…

Connecting with community resources is vital to our work with the public. We work hard to get the word out about our government funded family information and mediation services. Here is a summary of some of  the outreach we did last quarter to community agencies and organizations. We recently added a page on our website…

We work hard to get the word out about our government funded family information and mediation services. Here is a summary of some of what we did last quarter. Hilary Linton was very busy this last quarter sharing her expertise on the mediation process. She presented at the Ontario Bar Association on the topic of…

We work hard to get the word out about our government funded family information and mediation services. Here is a summary of some of what we did last quarter. We designed and printed new business cards, brochures and banners. We have given these materials with court staff to be shared with the public. We have…

Liaising regularly with the judiciary of the courts is an important part of our role. Read about some of what we are doing here. We attended Bench and Bar meetings and reported on our shift towards in-person services, accessibility of mediators on motions and conference dates, mediation uptake, IRC role and the Mandatory Information Program.…

  By: Alisha Cater-Benavides, Chavelle Sheckleford & Preeti Asthana The Family Intake office is the central hub, where clients can file family law documents, speak to Family law clerks for support, get sworn documents, pick up divorce certificates and much more. Mediate393 Information Referral Coordinators work very closely with the Family Intake Office and most…

  by Hilary Linton We recently came across six client satisfaction surveys from our onsite family mediation and information service that had fallen through the pandemic crack. Sometimes, we all need a little encouragement that we matter; that we are making a difference. Reading these surveys gave me confidence that we are indeed helping people.…

By Rhodes Thompson-Chase Intimate Partner Violence and animal abuse are closely linked. Through my discussion with SafePet Ontario Executive Director, Hayley Glaholt, it’s clear she is doing vital work. SafePet Ontario is a growing volunteer run organization that coordinates foster care for pets of individuals fleeing domestic violence. The program helps survivors seek safety while…

Our team recently completed training with Julian Granka Ferguson and Kabilan Kana regarding IT and Cybersecurity for ADR Professionals. There are so many ways that our clients’ data could be breached. As ADR professionals, its our job to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of all our clients’ information. Here are 10 tips to ensure the…

By: Hilary Linton and Cathi Wentworth  Toronto Family Mediation Services (www.mediate393.ca)       We recently interviewed Jason Goodman, the Acting Director at the Family Justice Centre.     This initiative, operated by Pro Bono Students Canada, hosts virtual legal clinics for Ontarians dealing with family law issues who are unable to afford a lawyer.    We…

By: Rhodes Thompson-Chase I had the pleasure to interview Brandon Hay, founder of the Black Daddies Club. Black Daddies Club sprung from Hay’s own experiences learning that he would be a father at 24. Like many other young men, Hay did not grow up with a consistent fatherly presence, and worried about his own abilities…

by Our IRC Meagan Coming back to work in person has been a great opportunity, both for us working at 47 Sheppard to be able to converse with clients and colleagues in person again, but also a great opportunity for clients to interact with us face to face. It has allowed the opportunity for clients…

By: Mediator-In-Training Julia Tremain I have been a family law lawyer for more years than I care to remember, and as such I have had the benefit of participating in several mediations, both as counsel for a party and as counsel for the child or children.  I am happy to see that mediation and other…

Written By: IRC Alisha Cater   As an IRC I like to approach each day like an empty rice bowl. The empty rice bowl is a well-known Buddhist story reflecting a beginner’s mind; a fresh start. Where each grain of rice that fills your bowl illustrates a new interaction, a new perspective, new learning. I…

Written by: Sari Goldman, MSW, RSW, AccFM Having completed all required course work through Riverdale Mediation, there was no question I hoped for an internship with the organization. Through the courses I realized how aligned my background and interests were with Riverdale, especially with my background in mental health and intimate partner violence. As a…

By: Tobi Ajibolade As an Information and Resource Referral Coordinator, I was grateful to speak on the second day of the program held by the LSO while hearing various perspectives and practices in managing domestic violence in family law files. Domestic violence and abuse is a nuanced topic that can involves complex pieces such as;…

by Ildiko Moktassi This short workshop was an excellent introduction for mediators and a great refresher for family law lawyers regarding the different sources of income and how they may affect income calculation for support purposes. The presenter, family law lawyer and mediator, Angela Princewill, was knowledgeable, friendly and funny. She did an excellent job…

By: Toronto Family Mediation Services President Hilary Linton   We have come across an unreported decision from 2019 that we think all mediators should read. In Arbuckle v Arbuckle (2019 ONSC 7453), Ms. Arbuckle sought a copy of the mediator’s notes. She took the position that the parties had reached an agreement in mediation and that…

This post highlights some of the "pandemic trends" that Information and Referral Coordinator Meagan Bensadoun has noticed.…

Effective August 1, 2021, judges can combine mandatory conferences if the parties have tried mediation.…

By: TFMS Mediator Raheena Dahya This series is designed to provide you with some tips and activities to assist you in preparing for your family law mediation. Get To ‘Yes’ With Yourself William Ury, one of the most preeminent writers on negotiation theory and tactics, describes how to use negotiation tactics with yourself before you…

Hilary Linton, Toronto Family Mediation Services (mediate393) and Riverdale Mediation In a recent decision by Justice Kiteley on a motion by the Respondent for retroactive and ongoing child support inter alia,  several key principles emerged that are worth noting for mediators and lawyers alike. Aside from the fact that the case features a lawyer with…

Alex, administrative assistant of Toronto Family Mediation Services, interviewed TFMS roster mediator Raheena Dahya, the author of our Mediating With Your Mental Health In Mind Blog for Mental Health week. Alex: It’s mental health week!  You’re known for always being up to discuss mental health; and you author the Mediating With Your Mental Health in…

By Hayley MacPhail As the Information and Referral Coordinator we hear many stories of parents who have not been able to see their children due to the Covid-19 shutdown of supervised centres.  After a year of no parenting time with their children, parents, the majority of them fathers, fear their absence will have long-term detrimental…

Justice Sherr writes about the new language in the Children’s Law Reform Act, replacing “custody” with “decision making” and “access” with “parenting time”. The decision cites the important parts of the legislative changes mediators should be familiar with.…

Listening to the CBC’s recent program on family law (Ontario Morning, March 12), it became clear to me that separating parents do not always understand their dispute resolution options. Recent changes to the federal and provincial laws require all separating couples to consider trying out-of-court settlement, and many are doing just that. But it can…

By Raheena Dahya, TFMS Roster Mediator This series is designed to provide you with some tips and activities to assist you in preparing for your family law mediation. Educate Yourself About the Law While quarantine measures are in place, you can reach out to the Information Referral Coordinator (IRC) by phone for the court hearing…

by Matilda Kissi, Senior Family Law Clerk With the Covid-19 pandemic, we have all struggled to continue and keep up with some sense of normalcy in our lives.  This has been particularly difficult for those parents who were seeing their children in accordance with court orders that required in person supervision by a third-party agency,…

By Raheena Dahya, TFMS Roster Mediator This series is designed to provide you with some tips and activities you can do to help manage your mental health while going through the family law process. Practice Shame Resilience Brene Brown’s developed a framework to create shame resilience. You can watch her Ted Talk, Listening to Shame,…

By Raheena Dahya, TFMS Roster Mediator This series is designed to provide you with some tips and activities you can do to help manage your mental health while going through the family law process. Reconnect to a Disconnection… Johann Hari’s book Lost Connections highlights different types of disconnection that may contribute to one’s experience of…

By Raheena Dahya, TFMS Roster Mediator This series is designed to provide you with some tips and activities you can do to help manage your mental health while going through the family law process. Contact a Professional You can find a variety of professionals in your area here. Get Some Exercise  If you are able…

By Raheena Dahya, TFMS Roster Mediator This series is designed to provide you with some tips and activities you can do to help manage your mental health while going through the family law process. Call a Distress Line There are multiple distress lines through which you can speak with either a professional or peer-counselor. Sometimes…

By Raheena Dahya, TFMS Roster Mediator This series is designed to provide you with some tips and activities you can do to help manage your mental health while going through the family law process. Make a List of Things that Relax of Cheer You Up For Later Use ( aka A Self-Care List) You can…

The goal of our blog is to provide you with information, resources, and support in navigating your family law matter. If you are interested in doing online mediation, here are some common questions clients have. Please take a look, and email us at [email protected] if you have any additional questions.…

Q:  I have just separated from my partner. We do not have lawyers and we do not have a court case. How can you help us? A: Yes! You can contact our Information & Referral Coordinator (IRC)  (info@mediate393.ca, or 416-593-5393) for a full and free consultation about the services and options available to you both and to your…

Q:  I have just separated from my partner. We do not have lawyers and we do not have a court case. How can you help us? A: Yes! You can contact our Information & Referral Coordinator (IRC)  (info@mediate393.ca, or 416-593-5393) for a full and free consultation about the services and options available to you both and to your…