Family and Divorce Mediation in Northern Ontario – No Travel Required

Resolve Parenting, Support and Property Issues Privately and Constructively

Separation doesn’t have to mean years of conflict, repeated court appearances or hours of travel.

Aaries Family Law provides virtual family and divorce mediation throughout Northern Ontario. You can participate by phone or video from your home, office or another private location.

Your mediation is conducted by Mark Kim, a practising Ontario lawyer whose practice is exclusively family law, with family court experience and a Master of Education. Mark trained as a family mediator at York University before becoming a lawyer and has been mediating family disputes for over a decade.

We help separating spouses and parents work toward practical agreements concerning:

Parenting arrangements
Decision-making responsibility
Child support
Spousal support
Property and debt division
The matrimonial home
Separation agreements

Call 613-453-2275 or toll-free 1-800-838-9929

Looking for a lawyer to represent you rather than mediate? Visit our Northern Ontario family and divorce lawyers page.

Family Mediation Across Northern Ontario

Families in Northern Ontario may face long travel distances, limited access to local services, irregular work schedules and the added difficulty of living in different communities.

Virtual mediation removes the need for everyone to travel to the same physical location.

We serve clients throughout Northern Ontario, including:

Sudbury
Thunder Bay
North Bay
Sault Ste. Marie
Timmins
Kenora
Smaller, rural and remote communities

All you need is a telephone or a reliable internet connection and a private place to participate.

What Can You Resolve Through Mediation?

Parenting Arrangements

We can help parents develop clear and workable arrangements addressing:

Regular parenting schedules
Holidays and school breaks
Summer vacations
Transportation and exchanges
Decision-making for children
Communication between parents
Long-distance parenting arrangements
Changes to an existing parenting plan

The mediation process keeps the discussion focused on practical arrangements and the best interests of your children.

Child Support

Mediation can address:

Ongoing child support
Income information
Special or extraordinary expenses
Sharing your children’s expenses
Annual income disclosure
Support adjustments
Unpaid or disputed support

The goal is to reach terms that are understandable, realistic and capable of being followed.

Spousal Support

We can help you discuss:

Whether spousal support should be paid
The amount and duration of support
Monthly or lump-sum arrangements
Income changes
Reviews and termination events
Life insurance or other security for support

Property and Debt

Financial mediation may address:

The matrimonial home
Buyout or sale arrangements
Bank accounts and investments
Vehicles and personal property
Pensions
Business interests
Family debts
Equalization and other property claims

You can exchange documents electronically and review them during the mediation process.

Separation Agreements

Once you’ve resolved the issues, the terms can be incorporated into a written separation agreement.

A properly prepared agreement can provide long-term clarity concerning parenting, support, property, debts and your future responsibilities.

We can draft a separation agreement as part of the mediation process for an additional fee. Each person will be encouraged to obtain independent legal advice before signing.

A More Affordable Way to Resolve Your Separation

Family court can become expensive quickly, particularly when both spouses retain lawyers to prepare documents, attend court and respond to ongoing disputes.

Mediation will often cost a fraction of having two lawyers manage a contested court case.

A Practical Alternative to Family Court

Mediation allows you and your former partner to participate directly in the decisions affecting your family.

Compared with a contested court proceeding, mediation may offer:

Less Travel

You don’t need to drive several hours to attend a meeting or take an entire day away from work.

Greater Privacy

Mediation discussions are confidential and aren’t conducted in an open courtroom.

More Flexible Scheduling

Sessions can be arranged around work, parenting and travel commitments. Shorter sessions may also be used when appropriate.

More Control

You decide whether to accept a proposed resolution. The mediator doesn’t impose an outcome.

A More Constructive Process

The mediator organizes the discussion, identifies the issues and helps you evaluate possible solutions.

Lower Overall Cost

Resolving issues by agreement may substantially reduce the financial cost of separation.

Mediation by Phone or Video

Most matters can be mediated entirely by telephone. Video meetings are also available when appropriate.

The process can be adapted to your circumstances. You may participate:

Together in the same virtual meeting
From separate homes or communities
With lawyers or other agreed participants present
Through separate-session or shuttle mediation

You can exchange documents, proposed schedules and financial information electronically before or during the mediation process.

How the Mediation Process Works

1. Contact Our Office

One person contacts us and provides basic information about the family and the issues that need to be addressed.

We’ll then obtain the other person’s contact information and invite them to participate.

2. Separate Intake Meetings

Each person completes a brief, private intake meeting by telephone.

The intake covers the mediation process, confidentiality, fees, safety screening and whether mediation is appropriate.

3. Mediation Agreement

If you both wish to proceed, you’ll sign a mediation services agreement.

4. First Joint or Shuttle Session

The mediator will begin identifying the issues, gathering the necessary information and helping you establish priorities.

Depending on your circumstances, you may participate together or in separate sessions.

5. Negotiation and Resolution

The mediator will help you communicate, evaluate options and work toward terms you can both accept.

You may need more than one session, particularly when both parenting and financial issues need to be resolved.

6. Written Agreement

Once you’ve reached terms, they can be recorded in a mediation summary or incorporated into a formal separation agreement.

Why Work With Aaries Family Law?

Your mediation is conducted by Mark Kim, a practising Ontario lawyer whose practice is devoted exclusively to family law. He brings direct experience with parenting, support, property and family court processes to the mediation table.

That legal background helps keep the mediation focused on everything a complete settlement needs to address, including parenting, support, property, pensions, debts and the matrimonial home.

Mark completed his family mediation certificate at York University in 2013, before completing his law degree. He was a mediator before he was a lawyer.

He also holds a Master of Education. That background supports the parenting side of mediation, including the development of schedules and communication arrangements that work for children and families in practice, not just on paper.

Our approach is:

Neutral
Practical
Structured
Confidential
Focused on settlement
Available throughout Northern Ontario

As mediator, Mark doesn’t represent either person and can’t provide either of you with independent legal advice. His role is to manage the process neutrally, help organize the issues and assist both of you in exploring possible resolutions.

You may each consult your own lawyer before, during or after mediation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do we have to be in the same room?

No. You can each participate from a separate location. Shuttle mediation is also available when it isn’t productive or appropriate for you to speak directly.

What technology do we need?

Telephone mediation only requires access to a phone and a private location. For video mediation, you’ll need a computer, tablet or smartphone with a stable internet connection.

Can we mediate if we live in different cities?

Yes. One person may be in Sudbury while the other is in Thunder Bay, Toronto, another province or another country.

Can mediation address both parenting and financial issues?

Yes. Mediation may address parenting arrangements, support, property, debts, pensions and the preparation of a separation agreement.

Is mediation confidential?

Mediation discussions are generally confidential, subject to the terms and exceptions contained in the mediation agreement.

What if we can’t talk to each other directly?

You may be able to use separate-session or shuttle mediation. The mediator communicates with each person separately and helps exchange proposals without requiring direct discussion between you.

Does the mediator decide who’s right?

No. The mediator remains neutral and doesn’t impose a decision. If you both request it, Mark can provide a neutral evaluation of the issues to help you assess your options. The evaluation isn’t binding and isn’t legal advice to either of you. Any resolution must be voluntarily accepted by both of you.

If what you need is a lawyer in your corner rather than a neutral mediator, see our Northern Ontario family and divorce lawyers page.

Will our agreement be legally binding?

Terms reached during mediation must be properly documented and signed before they become an enforceable separation agreement. You should each obtain independent legal advice before signing.

What happens if we don’t resolve every issue?

You may still document the issues you’ve resolved and decide how to address anything that remains outstanding.

How much does mediation cost?

The total cost will depend on the complexity and number of issues, the amount of information that needs to be exchanged, the level of agreeableness between the parties, and the number of sessions required.

Take the First Step Toward an Agreement

You don’t need to travel across Northern Ontario or begin a contested court proceeding simply to have a productive discussion about settlement.

Start with a confidential mediation intake.