Durham Mediation Centre
The Future is in Your Hands
Speak to a professional at
905-579-1988
MEDIATE ... Don't Litigate
Contact Us
905-579-1988
Information Referral Coordinator at 905-579-1988 is there to answer your questions.
The Steps in a Family Mediation Case
To start a family mediation we need both parties to be in agreement to attend mediation.
Once both parties have agreed to mediation a intake a questionnaire will be completed by one of our team.
The intake includes calculating the fee per hour for each person individually.
Our fees are based on the a sliding fee scale provided by the Ministry of the Attorney General. The fees for the service are collected and a file is assigned to a family mediator.
The mediator will contact each person to schedule a one hour individual appointment for each person. After the free one hour individual sessions people see the mediator together.
If a person has requested to sit in a different room (shuttle mediation) and the mediator goes between the parties. Shuttle mediation is used in cases where there is a high level of conflict or a person does not want to be in the same room as the other party.
Typically people attend joint sessions together with the mediator. After people have agreed on the resolution of their issues the mediator writes a report called the memorandum of understanding. This report only reflects what the parties have agreed to and is not a legal binding document. The mediator will have the parties read the memorandum to ensure it accurately reflects what the parties have agreed to prior to issuing the report.
Starting the Family Mediation Case
The Admin Coordinator will help you start the mediation process, answer questions about mediation, calculate fees and accepts mediation payments. Client service is our highest priority therefore appointments are best to ensure the admin coordinator is available to provide service. Phone calls and the contact us forms on each page of this website are welcome and messages are returned within 24 business hours.
The Admin Coordinator is available Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1pm to 5pm and is located in the Family Law Information Centre on the 1st floor of the Durham Courthouse 150 Bond Street East in Oshawa.
Information and Referral Coordinator (IRC) 905-579-1988
No appointment necessary, walk in service, first come first served basis wait times vary. The IRC will provide information about mediation services in the court and outside the court.
The Information and Referral Coordinator (IRC) provides non-legal information on issues related to separation and divorce, child protection matters and options for resolving disputes including Family Mediation. The IRC also help clients to determine their needs and will provide referrals to information sessions as well as community agencies and services.
The Family Law Information Centre (FLIC) is a walk-in centre located on the 1st floor in the Durham Region Courthouse at 150 Bond Street East in Oshawa. The FLIC is staffed by the Information and Referral Coordinator, Court Staff and Legal Aid Ontario Advice Counsel. The staff at the FLIC provide support to clients in need of legal and non-legal information about issues related to separation, divorce and other areas of family law. The FLIC maintains an inventory of brochures, booklets, publications, videos and resource lists relating to these matters.
Mandatory Information Program (MIP) 905-579-1988
MIP is mandatory for clients who are involved in family court proceedings but adults who are not involved in court proceedings are encouraged and welcome to attend. If you are not involved in a family court proceeding but would like to attend, please speak with the Information and Referral Coordinator at the Family Law Information Centre.
The MIP is a free 2 hour session for adults experiencing separation and divorce. Sessions provide important information about:
- The impact of separation and divorce on children and adults
- Mediation and other options for resolving your dispute
- The Family Court process
- Community services (legal and non-legal) for children and adults experiencing separation and divorce
On-site Family Mediation
On-site Mediation is a two hour free service available to clients on the date of their court appearance at the Durham Region Courthouse in Oshawa. Clients may need more than two hours of mediation to resolve their issues and offsite mediation is available. Our On-site Family Mediators help resolves such issues as:
- Custody
- Access
- Child Support
- Other narrow issues that are before the court
