Separation and Divorce Guided Mediation
The Resolution Group’s Separation and Divorce Guided Mediation helps partners reach parenting, financial, and property agreements through a structured, respectful, and supportive process.
Overview
Ending a relationship is rarely easy. Whether married or in a long-term partnership, separation brings emotional, financial, and logistical challenges that can feel overwhelming. Mediation offers a respectful, structured path forward, one that emphasizes collaboration, understanding, and long-term stability.
At The Resolution Group, our Separation and Divorce Guided Mediation service helps separating couples navigate important decisions in a safe, private, and balanced environment. With the guidance of an experienced mediator, you’ll work through parenting, financial, and property-related topics at a pace that supports clarity, care, and shared decision-making.
Unlike the court system, which can be adversarial and expensive, mediation keeps you in control. We focus on helping both parties reach durable agreements that reflect their unique family and future goals not just legal checkboxes.
What Topics Are Covered?
- Parenting plans (parenting time, decision-making, travel, medical care, relocation, and the introduction of new partners)
- Child support and spousal support
- Division of property and debts
- Communication agreements and future planning
- Preparation for court orders, including divorce, support, parenting, and property agreements
No two families are the same. Our process is flexible and tailored to your specific needs.
What to Expect from the Mediation Process
- Initial Telephone Call
A mediator will speak with you privately to learn more about your situation, answer questions, and determine whether mediation is a good fit. If you choose to move forward, we’ll guide you on how to invite the other party and set up individual pre-mediation meetings. - Pre-Mediation (Intake) Meeting
You’ll meet one-on-one with your mediator to discuss your goals, concerns, and what you need to feel safe and prepared. We also complete a confidential safety screening to identify any issues that need to be addressed in the process. - Joint Mediation Sessions
Typically scheduled for two hours, these online sessions involve both parties working with the mediator to address agenda items and reach shared agreements. In situations where safety is a concern, sessions may take place in separate online rooms. - Mediation Summary
Once you’ve reached decisions, the mediator will prepare a written summary outlining the agreements. This summary is not legally binding but can be taken to a lawyer or family court counsellor to create formal court orders or legal agreements.
How Much Does It Cost?
Our rate for family mediation is $250 per hour. This cost is typically shared equally between both parties, unless there’s a significant difference in income. Pre-mediation meetings usually take 90 minutes, while joint sessions are scheduled for two hours and the number of sessions varies based on complexity from one or two meetings for simple parenting plans to several sessions for full separation agreements.
We encourage clients to seek professional advice throughout the process. Our mediators collaborate with lawyers, financial advisors, and mental health professionals to ensure your decisions are well-informed and sustainable.
| The more prepared you are, the quicker the process. Please check out our resources section. |
Who Can Benefit from Separation and Divorce Guided Mediation?
- Married or unmarried couples seeking a respectful and efficient separation
- Parents creating or adjusting parenting arrangements
- Individuals who want to avoid the cost and stress of court
- Those looking for a neutral, safe space to work through difficult conversations
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Separation is a significant life transition, but it doesn’t have to be a destructive one. With the right support, it can be a step toward clarity, security, and a more peaceful future.
Get in touch with us today to learn more or schedule your Separation and Divorce Guided Mediation session.
| Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D. says research supports mediation in S&D When contrasted to parents in adversarial processes, parents using a more extended comprehensive divorce mediation process (e.g., 4 – 8 sessions) experienced a decrease in conflict during divorce. Further, in the first two years following divorce, they were more cooperative and supportive of each other as parents and communicated more regarding their children, after controlling for any pre-intervention group differences. One study reported that twelve years following divorce, fathers who mediated custody disputes remained more involved with their children compared to fathers who litigated. |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Mediation Recommended in Separation & Divorce?
Section 9 of the federal Divorce Act directs legal counsel or anyone else acting on behalf of a spouse in a divorce proceeding to “discuss with the spouse the advisability of negotiating the matters that may be the subject of a support order or a custody order and to inform the spouse of the mediation facilities known to him or her that might be able to assist the spouses in negotiating those matters.”
Section 5 of the Alberta Family Law Act requires every lawyer who acts on behalf of a party in an application under the act to “discuss with the party alternative methods of resolving the matters that are the subject of the application, and to inform the party of collaborative processes, mediation facilities and family justice services known to the lawyer that might assist the parties in resolving those matters."
Do I Still Need a Lawyer?
Separating and divorcing couples each need their own lawyers if they want to get independent legal advice and the corresponding Certificate of Independent Legal Advice.