Let’s get this figured out for your kiddo(s).
We facilitate the discussions needed to move forward, and we will hold space for you to be heard.
Online family mediation is a voluntary, and confidential process where a highly trained, neutral third party (mediator) facilitates conversations between people in your family (the parties) to better understand one another, resolve conflict, and reach agreement(s) about, and the next steps for their family.
Every online family mediation with The Co-lab Company is conducted by a highly trained, certified comprehensive family mediator. That mediator will facilitate the conversations that you need to have to help restore consistency, peace, and respect in your unique family circumstances.
We work from a child-focused perspective, and our mandate is to sort out and resolve issues fairly, quickly, and at the lowest possible cost, while reducing the impact of disagreements on children, proactively minimizing conflict, and supporting each co-parent’s ability to work together in the future.
Our entire mediation process is between $500 to $2000 per parent, and we also offer a sliding scale for those who are navigating financial challenges. Ask us about our sliding scale here.
How can family mediation support you?
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Family mediation is a collaborative approach to finding a separation plan that works for your family.
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It’s important for separated parents to find a function approach to parent their children. We help parents develop plans that are workable for everyone and will give children the stability they need during this transition time in their family.
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Blended families have unique experiences and conflicts that arise. Mediation between parents (and step parents) can often help all family members involved find solutions that carve out calm for everyone involved.
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Whether it’s a child and parent, siblings or a grandparent and a daughter/son in-law that are struggling, mediation can be helpful to navigate conflict between family members in general.
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Relationship mediation enables a couple to get on the same side and create a unified plan when faced with a stressor or conflict.
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Reconciliation Mediation works with couples to create a new stage for moving forward. A place for a proactive and constructive plan for future challenges.
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Legacy mediation is about creating a plan for the distribution and/or sharing of family assets.
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Family mediation can guide family members through elder care planning and estate transactions, helping to sort through options and decisions.
What’s the online family mediation process?
It’s simple; really.
(30 mins - Let’s see if we’re a fit!)
Have questions? We have answers. This 30-minute consult will give you insight into how we work, and more importantly how we can make your family’s life easier! You’ll meet with one of our Certified Comprehensive Family Mediators.
Ready to go? Skip the consult, and get started.
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(Sent 48 hours prior to the session)
Your mediator will send you documents regarding confidentiality, your intake session, and the mediation session.
These documents will set the foundation for your collaboration with your co-parent. They are due before the mediation session, and the session will not move forward without them having been received by the mediator.
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Step three: Intake session
(1 hr - $99 due prior to the screening)
Prior to online family mediation your co-lab mediator will meet with each participant privately in a pre-mediation meeting.
This is where you can tell us the nitty gritty, and download our mediator on what you’d like to accomplish, how you’d like to accomplish it etc.
We’ll assess your circumstances, figure out what needs to be resolved, and discuss what we need for the joint session to be a success.
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You need to have a good handle on your situation and your options before you come to make a plan. So, you'll want to gather documents to share and other information and advice.
Keep in mind that a mediator is not providing legal advice or counsel nor are they providing mental health/counselling services.
Your mediator will; however; give you a great deal of resources throughout the mediation process that can help to support you in coming to the table as your best self and assist in getting as much as you possibly can out of the mediation process and sessions.
You must have some options about how you’d like to move forward and know where you might be flexible as well as what is important to you.
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(1 hr - $99 due prior to the coaching session)
This is a one-on-one session with your mediator which will help to prep you for the session itself. We’ll discuss what to expect, tips for making the most of the session, calming/emotional regulation strategies, safety plans, expectations of the session, approach to finding alignment with your co-parent, etc.
This is one of the most important steps of our mediation process.
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(Time to be quoted - 2 hours minimum - $199/per hour due prior to the session)
Your mediator, the other party and you will connect online via Zoom to begin to figure out what solutions you’d like to build. You’ll then tackle finding mutually agreeable solutions that are customized to your family dynamic.
Mediation allows parents to build what makes sense for them. The court does not. If there is even the smallest sliver of hope to find even one or two agreements that work for you… mediation should be your jam.
Why family mediation?
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A family mediator is a trained professional who helps family members resolve conflicts and disputes related to family issues such as divorce, separation, child custody, visitation, child support, and division of assets. A family mediator's primary goal is to assist family members in reaching mutually agreeable solutions to their disputes.
The family mediator acts as a neutral third-party who facilitates communication between family members and helps them explore different options for resolving their conflicts.
Family mediators may work in private practice or be employed by courts or other organizations. They may have different backgrounds and training, such as social work, psychology, law, or conflict resolution. Regardless of their background, family mediators must be impartial and committed to helping families work through their conflicts in a safe and supportive environment.
Overall, the family mediator's role is to help family members communicate effectively, build understanding and trust, and work collaboratively to find solutions that meet the needs and interests of all parties involved.
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A mediation session is a facilitated conversation with a neutral, highly trained professional guiding a path forward. Mediators will maintain a calm, respectful and productive structure to the conversation whereby every opportunity to find an agreement between the parties is made possible.
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Mediation an opportunity to really put your thoughts, suggestions, and proposals on the table. It’s a place where the parties can discuss the details and figure out what works well for them, and that everyone can live with.
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Even the most knowledgeable and seasoned lawyer can’t predict with any degree of certainty what the outcome of family law litigation will be. It is rare for anyone to get all of what they want, or feel they deserve when the court makes the decisions for their family.
Additionally, the detail that is needed to reduce conflict is not always present in a court order. This is impactful because, unfortunately, when court orders don’t include details that can reduce conflict and/or either party is disgruntled, this leads to more litigation.
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The financial costs of family law litigation are painful. It’s not uncommon to spend tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The emotional cost of an adversarial process is equally damaging. Sadly, the biggest victims of the process are children.
Why family mediation with us?
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You can participate in mediation and find solutions from virtually anywhere given that we work online.
This eliminates the issue of having to travel, and/or incur additional expenses.
Online family mediation can be done from the comfort of your own home or so long as you have wifi, and a device that can connect to Zoom.
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Each online family mediation with The Co-lab Company is facilitated by a certified comprehensive family mediator.
We understand what it’s like to have been a co-parent and/or child in a high conflict family dynamic. We’ve been through high-conflict family law litigation. We’ve spent the thousands of dollars, and experienced the loopholes in the system.
Lived experience is not just a professional who’s highly trained (we are), it’s also someone who understands how agreements work in real-life, and genuinely wants to ease the process for everyone involved and give you the opportunity to side-step landmines.
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Our rates are significantly lower than the competition because we understand that contentious family law litigation has a power imbalance when it comes to how much each person can afford.
We also want the extra money that you’d spend on conflict resolution, to go to each of your kiddo(s)’s homes to benefit them.
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The Co-lab Company uses an electronic, paperless process to streamline mediation, and provide a fair, speedy and cost-effective resolution of family disputes.
Day-to-day communication occurs largely by email and documents are shared and delivered in electronic form through a secure client dropbox.
Meetings, sessions and conferences are held via videoconference using Zoom.
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You’ll meet with your mediator one-on-one in a pre-mediation session where they’ll loop you into how mediation will flow, and what you should expect.
We’ll give tips to increase the possibility of finding mutual agreement in moments that feel unfigureoutable.
We’ll connect you to resources so that you feel supported.
For us, it’s not about either parent being right. It’s about getting it right for your kiddo(s).
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During online family mediation, the family mediator helps the parties identify and clarify the issues in dispute, explore options for resolving the conflict, and work towards finding a solution that satisfies the interests and needs of both parties.
The mediator does not impose a decision on the parties, but rather helps them to arrive at their own solution.
