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Divorcing Well™ Mediation
Divorce Mediation Lawyers
Halifax Nova Scotia
Divorce Mediation
Divorcing Well™ is a unique divorce mediation process refined over 25 years of working with families who are experiencing separation and divorce.
Teryl Scott’s divorce mediation lawyers saw that the divorce industry needed better tools to help families. Divorces do not need to be hostile, expensive or drawn out.
Our divorce lawyers and mediation lawyers have developed the Divorcing Well™ program which empowers you to complete your separation agreement, without the legal battles experienced in traditional divorces.
Our divorce mediation lawyers make your separation a smooth and affordable process.
You choose—five-session settlement process that ends with a binding decision from a judge for high-conflict separations. Or, you may qualify for our three-week mediation process for low-conflict separations. In both programs, our legal mediators provide oversight and preparation of the separation agreement which provides you with the uncontested terms of your divorce.
With our divorce mediation program, Divorcing Well™, you can save money on unnecessary legal fees, avoid a long-drawn-out process by staying out of court and reduce the overall stress of the entire process. Not only will you save money, but you will also know ahead of time what exactly you are paying.
You have greater control over the outcome of your divorce, as you set the terms of your agreement yourselves.
Here are a few solutions our divorce mediation lawyers in Halifax provide:
- Parenting Plans
- Spousal Support Calculations
- Separation Agreements
- Equalization of Property
- Child Support Calculations
Teryl Scott Lawyers Inc. provides three options to obtain a cost-effective and timely resolution of your separation issues.
Low Conflict 3-Week Divorce Mediation
OPTION ONE
Separation Agreement without Mediation. Separations without mediation are achieved when the parties not only correctly understand the law regarding their major issues, but they also are able to resolve them without the help of a mediator. We help the parties draft their separation agreement based on their mutual understanding.
The cost to create the agreement is typically $1250 (plus HST) per person and is done either separately or together with the parties in one session (in person or by Zoom typically).
OPTION TWO
Low Conflict 3-Week Mediation + 1 settlement conference with a judge (binding or non-binding option). Three-Week Mediations are for couples who can negotiate outside of the mediation sessions after they have had assistance from the mediator in understanding what is legally fair and reasonable.
The cost of the Three-Week Mediation is $2,450 per person. This program has an optional binding or non-binding settlement conference with a judge if the parties are unable to agree to resolve an issue. The parties share the cost of preparation of these court documents and each pays $1250 (plus HST).
Qualification for the Program
- The mediator determines whether the customers qualify for the 3 week program. The program is designed for low conflict situations where the parties disagree.
- Each customer pays the flat fee of $2,450 (plus HST) for the 3 week program
- Each customer signs engagement agreement with the Mediator
Week One: Meet with Mediator
- The mediator meets with each spouse separately for up to 2 hours (normally by video conference) to prepare a draft separation agreement.
- Each customer arranges to meet with his or her lawyer for 1 hour between week 2 and week 3 of the program
Week Two: Review the Separation Agreement
- Mediator meets with both spouses together for up to 2 hours to review draft separation agreement created in week one (normally by video conference)
- Between week 2 and week 3, each customer will meet with his or her lawyer to review the draft separation agreement
Week Three: Sign the Separation Agreement
- Mediator meets for up to 2 hours with the spouses together to evaluate and make changes to separation agreement that were recommended by their lawyers (normally by video conference)
- The parties sign the draft agreement (normally by electronic signatures)
- The signed agreement is sent to the lawyers for them to sign the independent legal advice certificate (normally by for electronic signatures)
- Mediator emails each customer a signed separation agreement
Optional Alternative: Settlement conference with a judge (binding or non-binding)
The mediator prepares all court documents required for the court to assign a settlement judge. The cost for each party is $1250 (plus HST). This package includes a cover letter, and a memo/brief to the judge outlining the parties’ positions, Notice of Application, Contact and Information Form, and may include a sworn Property Statement, sworn Income Statements, Parenting Statement, Notice of Self-representation Form, and Statement of Expenses.
High Conflict 5-Session Mediation
OPTION THREE
High Conflict 5-Session Mediation including a settlement conference with a judge (binding).
The 5-Session Mediation program is for parties who are no longer able to communicate with each other directly. The program is designed to prepare the parties to present themselves to a binding settlement judge in the fifth session. The judge will rule on any outstanding issues, if any, after four weeks with the mediator.
The cost of this package is $4900 per person. Below are the steps involved in the program and included in the fee.
- Session One and Two: The mediator meets separately with the parties up to two hours each. With the parties, the mediator begins drafting the separation agreement and property/asset documents and all the court documents needed to get a date with the binding settlement judge.
- Session Three and Four: The mediator has both parties on a video conference call with breakout rooms. The parties may or may not be together at the same time. They decide. The mediator reviews the separation agreement and assets/property documents with both parties in break-out rooms or together. The mediator prepares a brief memo to the judge with the positions of the parties, a cover letter to the court including all court documents needed to get a date with the settlement judge.
- Between Session Four and Five: The parties see their independent legal advice counsel for typically 1 to 1.5 hours (this fee is not part of the program and paid directly to the independent counsel.)
- Session Five: The mediator meets for up to 2 hours with the spouses together to evaluate and make changes to the separation agreement that were recommended by their lawyers (normally by video conference). The parties sign the draft agreement (normally by electronic signatures), which is then sent to the lawyers for them to sign the independent legal advice certificates (normally by electronic signatures). The mediator emails each customer a signed separation agreement.
- Settlement with a Judge: If necessary, this session sets up a binding settlement with the judge (in Halifax, Nova Scotia, it is at least a four- month wait to have a mediation session with the judge). This court package of documents includes a cover letter, a memo/brief to the judge outlining the parties’ positions, Notice of Application, Contact and Information Form, and may include a sworn Property Statement, sworn Income Statements, Parenting Statement, Notice of Self-representation Form, and Statement of Expenses.
I recently had my will updated along with my power of attorney and a medical directive. The process was very simple as I set up a phone consultation with my lawyer,... read more
Barry JohnsonApril 20, 2022
Lisa has my highest respect with her knowledge of employment law. I would without hesitation, recommend her service! Thank You again, Lisa.
Bill SullivanMarch 4, 2022
Lisa is extremely knowledgeable, professional and personable. She made the entire process as painless as possible and I felt very supported throughout. I would highly recommend Lisa’s services.
Myra DavisOctober 19, 2021
Separation With Divorce Mediation Lawyers
Divorces have never been so easy
Traditional separations have each party hire their own family lawyer, who writes costly positional letters outlining their client’s demands.
These adversarial proceedings increase the risk of contested divorces. Which makes a divorce costly and can be drawn out over years.
Together, but Separate
Each party meets with the family mediator separately. This minimizes conflict and allows us to focus on fair and reasonable outcomes.
Cost Effective
By using Divorcing Well™ both parties get the benefit of sharing legal mediation costs. Using mediation for separations minimizes the conflict, which reduces your legal time and hence costs.
Fair Outcomes
We provide neutral legal information throughout our mediations. Our mediator's responsibility is to create fair and reasonable outcomes for the flat fee we quote in the timeline we quote.
Our Mediation Lawyers Help You Every Step Of The Way
Our lawyers are highly trained mediators. We’re here to help you de-escalate tension and efficiently provide clear legal information on fair and reasonable outcomes.
important things you should know
FAQ About Divorce Mediation
Yes the Divorcing Well™ process requires both parties to participate in the mediation meetings. However it’s important to know that each party initially meets with the legal mediator separately.
Divorcing Well™ is a mediation process that focuses on fair and reasonable outcomes between the separating parties. Our legal mediators are here to support fair outcomes for both parties.
Divorcing Well™ meditations establish the uncontested terms of your divorce for a flat fee of $2,450 plus HST per party for low-conflict separations over a three-week period.
For high-conflict or complex mediations (e.g., where business assets or self-employment is involved) costs a flat fee of $4,900 plus HST per party for a five-session process.
Teryl Scott Lawyers Inc. has a sliding fee scale available to people with lower incomes.
Yes absolutely! You can book an appointment online, or contact us directly.
Our Legal Mediation Team Is Here For You
Our team is caring and compassionate with over 30+ years of experience in family law.
what do you need?
we work hard
Also in these legal fields
Teryl Scott Lawyers Inc. is here for you in a variety of legal fields. Read the other pages on our website to learn more about the services that we offer.
Divorce Mediation Timeline
Divorcing Well™ high-conflict/complex mediations are completed in just five-sessions. The fifth and final session is in front of a judge who will order a resolution. The parties provide the requested financial information within the first session and attend each session’s meeting separately.
In the fourth session, the draft separation agreement is ready to review by each party’s independent legal counsel. Any outstanding issues are presented to the judge to order the outcome.
Divorcing Well™ low-conflict mediations are completed in just three weeks and are the most popular. The parties provide their financial information before the first meeting begins. Each party has a separate meeting with the mediator in the first week. In the second week, they are brought together to review the draft separation agreement on a video conference call. In between week-two and week-three, each party sees their independent legal advice counsel. In the third week, each party reviews with the mediator comments from their independent legal counsel.
What happens if the separation agreement cannot get mediated in three weeks?
After the mediations, the parties have a clear understanding of what the outstanding issues are and what the likely legal outcomes would be if they go to court. If one of the terms of the separation agreement cannot be agreed upon, then the parties have to bring that issue in front of a judge to resolve it.
When the parties have been separated for a year, they then can have the Divorcing Well™ legal mediator draft the divorce documents and share this cost too.
Divorcing Well™ 3-Week Mediation Fees
The 3-Week Mediation for low-conflict separations have a flat fee of $2,450 for each party plus HST. If you both agree on most of the terms and can communicate with each other the three-week mediation is the most cost-effective for you!
This process provides you with a separation agreement — the uncontested terms of your divorce — and an equalization table, which is a full accounting of all your assets and debts and tells you the final payout figure between the parties.
Divorcing Well™ 5-Session Mediation Fees
Divorcing Well™ meditations–which establish the terms of your divorce– cost a flat fee of $4900 plus HST per party if it is a standard mediation. For complex mediations (e.g., where business assets or self-employment is involved) a separate quote is required.
Teryl Scott Lawyers Inc. has a sliding fee scale available to people with lower incomes.
Stage One
Each party is expected to:
- Provide all of the banking, financial and income tax information within the timeframes requested by the legal drafter.
- Then separately attend four (1.5 to 2 hrs) sessions with the legal mediator over four consecutive weeks.
Stage Two
The legal mediator:
- Begin to prepare the draft separation agreement and the equalization table.
- With all the parties and their legal counsel, they host a final mediation in week five (separate rooms but at the same time)