Blog

< Go back

Mediation

Divorce Act changes ‘a boon’ for collaborative law practice – Interview By Law Times

As the pandemic has produced a rise in divorces and family disputes, the recent enactment of Divorce Act amendments will give a boost to collaborative family law and have more clients resolving their issues outside of a courtroom, say two family…

The Divorce Act has grown up, but will we?

Many people think that the courtroom is the place to finally bring justice — via the well-intentioned figure seated in black robes — to the injustice of their failed marriage. Unfortunately, it is often not like this. Despite recent reforms…

Divorce Act Amendments: Best interest of Children and Family Violence

All Canadian divorcing families are now subject to the new amendments to the Divorce Act which came into effect on March 1, 2021. Most family law lawyers are delighted with the changes to the Divorce Act. I will break down…

Divorce Act Amendments: Best interest of Children

Divorce Act Amendments: Separating Families have new duties to try to resolve out of court

New Divorce Act changes focus on out-of-court resolution, interests of child – Boutet in The Lawyer’s Daily

New federal laws requiring family lawyers to “encourage” parting spouses to use mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution instead of the courts have come into force. On March 1, federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti…

Children Custody During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Radio Canada

Nathalie is interviewed in French by Radio Canada, to discuss parenting issues during the pandemic, from how Courts deal with custody fights, to suggesting other methods to resolve parenting issues including mediation and collaborative negotiation. Listen to the recording (French)…

COVID-19 increasing complexity in family law mediation – Interview by Law Times

In family law mediation, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced new complexities, including around digital security, the safety of spouses in abusive relationships and parenting conflicts around social distancing. But for the most part, the issues are the same, only they…

How accountants can help prepare ex-spouses for mediation

Accountants and other financial professionals can help their divorcing clients prepare for mediation by having a better understanding of their role in this process. Mediation and non-court processes do not work when a spouse attempts to conceal information, and these…

Avoiding triggers in mediation involving personality disorders

Boutet was recently featured as one of three expert panelists at an Ontario Bar Association (OBA) program, Managing Personality Disorders in Mediation. The panel provided practical strategies for lawyers who deal with people who have difficult personalities. Read more about the panel and topics…

The New Mediator – Nathalie Boutet in Advocate Daily

Nathalie Boutet is featured on AdvocateDaily.com to promote her new workshop The New Mediator: The Neuroscience of self-regulation. Read the full article here.

What is a Successful Mediation?

What is a successful mediation? Authors Bush and Folger[1] speak of the power of mediation to resolve divorces. The methodologies of mediation are very well suited for resolving conflicts between people that have been in close or personal relationships or…

Family Mediation Enhances an Individual’s Ability to Truly Hear His or Her Spouse

Mediation “produces superior quality solutions for private disputes”.[1] I would like to explore 2 of the many reasons why mediation is so effective: (1) People can be truly heard and understood when they articulate what they want, and (2) It…

Communication in Mediation!

Communication in mediation can be difficult. A breakdown of a relationship is never easy especially if you have children. In my mediations, I allow clients time to develop simple communication rules that will be upheld during the process. People who…

How to Mentally Prepare for Mediation

People who separate will often experience very strong emotions that will at times feel unmanageable. Sometimes they feel as though they have made some progress only to be triggered by an event that reminds them of their former partner, or…

Do People Have to be Getting Along to Participate in Family Mediation?

Mediation is used by people who want to resolve disputes themselves rather than having a judge make decisions for them. But because these people’s relationship is broken, they need a third party to facilitate the communication, and guide the negotiation.…

Ontario Family Court – Preparing for Mediation and Negotiation Techniques Used in Mediation

Thanks to the abundance of Mediation Services Toronto has to offer, separating families have easy access to friendlier methods to resolve their differences. This is even more so since the Ontario Family Court system now makes mediation mandatory in some…

Women in Mediation vs. Men in Mediation – How to Mediate a Dispute to Negotiate a Settlement that is a “Win Win” for All

Toronto Mediation services grew in popularity as a result of dissatisfaction with the courts in the 80s and 90s. In the beginning, families who wanted to mediate a dispute using Toronto mediation services were often warned that mediation may not…

Conflict Resolution and Mediation – When Resolving a Dispute What People Say Might Be Different Than What They Mean

This paper will address a resolution dispute issue that is underestimated: the importance of communication in conflict resolution and mediation. In conflict resolution and mediation, the importance of communication skills is evident because the team has a real opportunity to…

Family Mediation – A Step Towards Healing the Family and Healthier Relationships

This paper highlights why family mediation speeds up the process of healing the family and leads spouses towards healthier relationships after a separation. It will also provide information on how to find resources about “family mediation Toronto”. Separating spouses usually…

Mandatory mediation in Ontario! Recent announcement about Mandatory Mediation by the Ontario Government

There was an announcement about mandatory mediation by the Ontario Government. This announcement about mandatory mediation proved confusing for Ontario residents who seek information about the divorce mediation services Toronto has to offer. The announcement about mandatory mediation suggests that…