Mediate Your Divorce: Don’t Lawyer Up and Head to Court

Top Judge sounds alarm over court access in her speech on August 13, 2011. Chief Justice of Canada explained why family divorce cases in particular should avoid the court system…

“In the family area, they get mired in processes that actually exacerbate the dispute and have bad consequences for the children involved and for preserving as much of the family assets as can be preserved.”

Beverley McLachlin would know. She is Chief Justice of Canada’s final court of appeal: the Supreme Court of Canada. When one of the best judges in Canadian history tells you that almost all family matters do not belong in the court processes, reasonable divorcing couples must listen and choose the family mediation … Read more »

Exploring Gilsig Divorce and Family Mediation Services

I provide divorce and family mediation services that include:

• Offering a neutral place for you and your former spouse to meet;
• Discussing and guiding the mediation process;
• Setting the tone for the meetings to provide for constructive dialogue;
• Helping to define the issues you both need to resolve;
• Facilitating understanding and communication between you and your former spouse about the issues;
• Keeping your discussions on track;
• Helping you gather and keep track of information and documents;
• Teaching you and your former spouse skills for better communication and cooperative problem solving;
• Helping you maintain a working relationship with your former spouse which is particularly important if you have children because you will need to keep in contact while they

… Read more »

Welcome to Gilsig Family Law

Gilsig Family Law provides family law advice, drafts family law agreements and provides out of court dispute resolution services. We help you cut the legal, financial and emotional costs of separation and divorce.

My name is Marla B. Gilsig and I am a family and divorce lawyer. My family law advice can help you understand your legal rights and obligations and guide you through the maze of family law and divorce law. I draft cohabitation, prenuptial, and postnuptial agreements. Where there has been a breakdown of the spousal relationship, I draft separation agreements and provide out of court dispute resolutions services to help you resolve your separation and divorce issues in a non-adversarial way. . A negotiated settlement … Read more »

What Happens at Our Family Mediation Meetings?

You and your former spouse will meet together with me, Marla Gilsig, as your family law mediator. My role as a mediator is not to decide the outcome of your dispute, you and your former spouse are the decision makers. Through a series of meetings that we all attend I’ll help you to make decisions and reach agreements by facilitating negotiations and helping you gather and keep track of information and documents.

Your lawyer and your former spouse’s lawyer may also attend the mediation meetings with the two of you. Your lawyers are part of the family mediation process, even if they do not attend the meetings. When you separate, your children are impacted. Sometimes older … Read more »

What is the Difference Between a Family Mediator and a Family Law Mediator?

What is a family mediator?

In mediation, you and your former spouse work with a family mediator, one who is specially trained to help you reach an agreement. Family mediators are neutral third parties who can help you reach an agreement on a variety of issues, including guardianship, parenting schedules, support payments, and the division of property and debts. A family mediator may be a psychologist, counsellor, social worker or lawyer who has been trained to be a family mediator. In BC, most family mediators are members of Mediate BC and Family Mediation Canada.

What is a family law mediator?

In British Columbia, the Law Society of BC offers accreditation for family lawyers who wish to become … Read more »