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Family mediation in Toronto and across Ontario
A voluntary, private process where a neutral mediator helps you and your spouse reach your own agreement on parenting, support and property, without asking a judge to decide for you.
What mediation is, and isn’t
In mediation, Angelina acts as a neutral third party. She doesn’t take sides or make decisions. Her role is to keep conversations productive, make sure both of you understand the law and your options, and help you design a solution tailored to your family’s needs.
Because Angelina is also a family lawyer with decades of experience, she understands what an agreement needs to contain to work in practice, and where couples often get stuck.
Mediation is about finding a solution, not winning an argument. It asks two things of each of you: a desire to resolve matters, and a commitment to full and honest disclosure.
Accredited Family Mediator
Angelina holds the AccFM designation and is listed on the Ontario Association of Family Mediators roster. Accredited mediators complete training in family law, mediation theory and screening for family violence and power imbalances.
What you can resolve in mediation
Mediation can address every issue in a separation, or only the ones still open.
Parenting
Schedules, holidays, decision-making responsibility and how you’ll communicate about the children.
Child support
Guideline support, special or extraordinary expenses and how costs will be shared.
Spousal support
Whether support is payable, how much and for how long.
Property division
Equalization of net family property, pensions, investments and debts.
The family home
Whether to sell, buy out or keep the home, and on what timeline.
Changes over time
Updating an existing agreement or order when your circumstances change.
How the process works
Every mediation is tailored, but most follow these steps.
Individual intake meetings
Angelina meets with each of you separately to understand the issues and confirm mediation is safe and appropriate for your situation.
Mediation agreement
You both sign an agreement that sets out how the process, confidentiality and the mediator’s role will work.
Financial disclosure
You exchange the financial information needed for informed decisions. Nothing is filed with the court.
Joint sessions
Together, in person or by video, you work through each issue and test options until you reach agreement.
Your agreement in writing
The terms are summarized, each of you obtains independent legal advice, and they’re finalized in a binding separation agreement.
Is mediation right for you?
Mediation tends to work well when
- You can communicate, even if it’s difficult
- You both want to keep costs and conflict down
- You’re willing to share full financial information
- You’d like to stay out of court and keep matters private
Another path may be better when
- There is family violence or a safety concern
- One person is unwilling to disclose finances
- There’s a serious imbalance of power
- Someone wants their own advocate at every step
If mediation isn’t the right fit, collaborative divorce may be. Angelina will talk with you about the options at your consultation.
Mediation questions
How long does mediation take?
It depends on how many issues you need to resolve and how quickly financial information is exchanged. Many couples resolve everything over a handful of sessions spread across several weeks, far faster than a court process.
Is what we say in mediation confidential?
Yes. Mediation is a confidential process, and the terms are set out in the mediation agreement you both sign before sessions begin. Angelina will explain the limits of confidentiality at the start.
Do we each need a lawyer?
You don’t need lawyers in the room, but Angelina strongly recommends that each of you receives independent legal advice before signing your final separation agreement. That step helps make sure the agreement is fair and holds up.
What if we can’t agree on everything?
Many couples settle most issues in mediation and narrow the rest. Any remaining issues can be explored further, addressed through collaborative negotiation, or resolved another way, without starting from scratch.
Can we mediate changes to an existing agreement or court order?
Yes. Mediation works well for updating parenting arrangements or support when circumstances change. Where a court order is involved, the agreed changes can usually be filed on consent, without a contested court process.
Start with a conversation
Find out whether mediation fits your situation, and what the first steps would be.