Mediation and your contracting business

As a contractor having a significant dispute with a client, you may think the following are your only options: Fight it out Withdraw services Head to small claims court with a lawyer, paralegal or as...

5 TIPS To A Better Self-Isolation Family Life

5 Tips To A Better Self-Isolation Family Life 2

I see so many posts about bettering yourself, staying healthy and connecting during self-isolation and social distancing. All great posts with great ideas but what about a post that helps us live and ...

Families First Mediation, Melissa speaking

contact us Melissa

My name is Melissa Haddad and I am the first person you will speak to when you contact us, whether by phone, email or our contact form.  Since you get me first, I’d like to share with you who I am. Ot...

Mediation With HEART

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I had a call from a local family law lawyer and was told that she recommended me to her counterpart because she felt that the case needed a mediator with heart. While I was happy that’s how I’m seen, ...

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Divorce No Longer Public

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In a National Post article today I read that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have announced that they will now be handling their divorce privately, which I am so happy to hear. Read the article here: htt...

Child Custody Battles And A Broken System

custody battles

Custody battles are difficult enough but within a broken system they are doomed to be more damaging to families. Here is a link to a post in the Toronto Sun today by Michele Mandel. Judge blasts warr...

Ashley Madison – A Time For Some Difficult Family Conversations

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“I think it’s time to bring the personal family issues of the leaked Ashley Madison users back into the private world. No media, no courts, just families having these difficult conversations in ...

Difficult Conversations – Getting The Death You Want

Caregiver Support

Mediation and having difficult conversations about death are probably not things that you think belong together, but they do. Have you told your loved ones what your end of life decisions are? As a so...

Why Is Mediation The Best Kept Secret?

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As a Mediator my role is to help people communicate through conflict, to find resolutions to problems and to actively participate in decisions.

Mediation is a fair, safe and balanced process that ensures everyone has a voice. It’s less costly than the legal process and much more efficient in most cases.

Yet I still wonder daily why mediation is not as common place as counselling or lawyers? People in conflict tend to call a counsellor (to deal with the emotional side) or a lawyer (to deal with the legal side). A mediator helps deals with the practical side of conflict which is often where the biggest problems occur.

Changes To The Family Law Process In Ontario Are Still Needed

family law

Here’s a letter that I wrote back in 2010 to a person that wanted support from someone in the “divorce industry’ to help them with their battle to change the Family Law Process. I had the added (dis)advantage of having also personally gone through it. I just found it and had a quick read. I still feel strongly that lawyers and mediators should work together more to benefit our clients. I have however softened a little as I have met some wonderful lawyers that ARE client focused. Have a read and let me know what you think. I’d love the feedback.

I’m writing this letter in support of your efforts to bring awareness to the changes so desperately needed in the current family law process.