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Why try subsidized family mediation before going to court?

          By Cindy Holovac Leithead Have you separated from your partner? To Counsel –  Do you have a client who wants to settle without going to family court, but cannot afford an expensive private mediator? To Mental Health Professionals – Do you have clients trying to manage the turmoil of separation…

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What is a family mediation intake?

          It is a free, confidential one-on-one with an accredited, skilled family mediator. It takes about 30-45 minutes. In that time the mediator will discuss the file in confidence with each party, to learn whether there are any issues that might be quickly resolved in mediation. It takes place either virtually…

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Learn more about the Ontario Ombudsman's Office

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…

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Check out The Action Group's Access to Justice Week!

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…

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Toronto Family Mediation Services Announces Partnership with the Family Justice Centre

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…

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What is mediation?: A Student's Insights

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…

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Feuding over Financials: the Importance of Financial Disclosure

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…

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Bill C-233: Keira's Legacy

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.…

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Anderson v. Anderson: The Battle Over Domestic Contracts

                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…

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Caselines Tips for Self Represented Litigants

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…

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Outreach with our Justice Partners: Part 1

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.…

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Interview with the Khalil Center

  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,…

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What Makes Parenting Coordination Work Well?

                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…

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Our work with Local Community Organizations

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…

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Our work with the Local Bar

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…

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What We Did Last Quarter with the Courts Administration

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…

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We Work Closely with the Judiciary

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.…

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Shadowing Court Staff at 361

  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…

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Good news from our clients!

  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.…

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IPV and Pet Ownership: A Discussion regarding SafePet Ontario

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…

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10 IT and Cybersecurity Tips for ADR Professionals

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…

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The Family Justice Centre: access to family law help!

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…

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Interview with Brandon Hay

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…

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IRC Role at 47 Sheppard

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…

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The Benefits of Mediation

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…

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Resources for Youth Experiencing Parental Separation

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…

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Decorative photo of three blue beach chairs

Mediator-in-Training Internship Experience

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…

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A Wake-Up Call for Family Mediators!

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…

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Negotiating During Your Mediation Series - Part 2

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…

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From The Case Law: Tips for Family Lawyers and Mediators

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…

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TFMS Mediator Raheena Dahya Recommends Her Favourite Mental Health Reads

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…

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Supervised Access Update From the Information & Referral Coordinator (IRC)

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…

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CBC Promotes Family Mediation!

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…

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Negotiating During Your Mediation Series - Part 1

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…

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Supervised access in the Greater Toronto Area: APCO is closed, now what?

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,…

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Mediating With Your Mental Health In Mind - Part 5

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,…

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Mediating With Your Mental Health In Mind Series - Part 4

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…

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Mediating With Your Mental Health In Mind Series - Part 3

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…

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Mediating With Your Mental Health In Mind Series - Part 2

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…

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Mediating With Your Mental Health In Mind Series - Part 1

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…

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Online Mediation FAQ

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.…

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Family Law Information Centres (FLIC)

You can learn much more about available services, mediation, court process, separation, divorce and the law by visiting us at one of our Family Law Information Centres (FLIC).

416-977-0718

361 University Ave, Suite 146, Toronto, ON M5G 1T3

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416-326-1694

311 Jarvis Street Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2C4(Between Gerrard and Dundas)

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416-250-6161

47 Sheppard Avenue East Toronto, Ontario M2N 5X5Main Floor (Just east of Yonge, south side of Sheppard)

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