Getting Started

Our goal is for your mediation experience to provide you with a safe place to have conversations about difficult issues. Below you will find the process in getting started. It is straight forward and transparent and may answer many of your questions and concerns.

You will need to complete the information on this page and send it to us. Please read over and sign the Preliminary Intake Form and Agreement to Mediate and then send it to us. Please fax it to us at 1 (705) 721 4025 or Email it to us at resolutions@barristonresolutions.com.

We will need you to sign a copy of the agreement when you have your introductory session with us.

Once we have received the Preliminary Intake Form from both spouses, we will schedule your intake meetings. Each person participating in the mediation must meet individually, privately, and confidentially with the mediator before the process can begin. This individual meeting is an important part of the mediation process - it helps us ensure that the case is an appropriate one for mediation, and also helps you and us know whether any steps need to be taken before you can have a productive and effective mediation. It also ensures that the right person has been assigned to your case. This meeting also assists in establishing realistic expectations for the mediation process.

We charge a flat rate for the Intake Meeting. Please bring a cheque or charge card or cash for all meetings. We do not require large retainers in advance but insist that you "pay as you go". We do charge a one-time administration fee to help cover our set-up costs (such as opening your file, sending out short communications, calling to make appointments, photocopying, and billings, etc.).

Sometimes mediations are arranged by lawyers or the parties wish to have their lawyers attend the mediation. This is perfectly acceptable. However, in order to avoid a sense of imbalance, both parties should have lawyers in attendance at the mediation session.

Your first "joint" meeting will be set up for a time that is convenient for the clients and mediator. If the plan is to have the lawyers attend as well then it is the responsibility of the client to ensure that their lawyer can attend at the scheduled time. We will do our best to accommodate everyone's schedule but inevitably there will be some scheduling conflicts arise that will require one or more of the participants to re-arrange their commitments.

Generally, mediation sessions are scheduled for 3 hours or less. Most often, the sessions will be scheduled to start at either 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.. On occasion, other times can be arranged if required.

 a. Clients choosing family mediation-arbitration will follow (a) - (e) above. All participants in a family arbitration process are required, by law, to first participate in a screening for power imbalances, including domestic violence and abuse, before signing the Arbitration Agreement. For mediation-arbitration processes, we conduct our own screening process and it forms part of the individual intake meetings described above. For arbitration alone processes, we will provide the names of third party "screeners" with whom we work, and you will need to meet separately with this person before signing the Arbitration Agreement.

 b. The lawyers must finalize the Arbitration Agreement before the first full mediation meeting takes place. The parties will need to review and finalize this document so that it reflects the issues, resources and processes that are to be used in the proceedings. It will probably take the lawyers a week or two to finalize this agreement, so we will need to make sure there is enough time for them to do so. Once the agreement is signed, the mediator-arbitrator and the lawyers/parties will meet in person or by phone to determine the procedural details for the arbitration process.

 c. Finances - Unlike family mediation, in arbitration or mediation-arbitration we do require retainers. The amount will be determined after the individual intake meetings and will generally be paid at the first mediation meeting. The retainer funds will be held for the arbitration.