Online Mediation

Online divorce mediation (or e-mediation) in British Columbia is the incredibly effective process of discussing and deciding on the details of your separation with the help of a neutral family law mediator by video chat or phone.

We use user-friendly video chat technology that will work on any computer, tablet or smartphone.

Personal Benefits

Some of the benefits of online divorce mediation for you are:

Some of the benefits of online divorce mediation for you are:
  • You can schedule sessions at times that work for your life, with no need to travel to an office.
  • You participate from a comfortable, private space of your own choosing.
  • Matters are resolved more efficiently, with less back-and-forth and fewer scheduling delays.
  • Meeting separately by video reduces the emotional tension that can arise from sharing a physical space with your spouse.
  • You avoid unnecessary exposure to illness and any concern about physical safety.
  • Online services carry lower overhead, which means lower costs for you compared to traditional office-based mediation.

We find that through online mediation many clients are better able to focus on the business of their separation without getting bogged down in the emotional issues that can arise when meeting in the same physical space.

Watch our video on the 7 Reasons We Love E-Mediation to find out more about why we recommend it to all of our family mediation clients for their legal separation:

Global Benefits

cloudy mountain range and forest

E-mediation is a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way to resolve disputes as it eliminates travel to meetings and the corresponding emissions that would have been generated.

We are committed to reducing the impact of our work upon the climate and we are signatories to the Green Pledge of the World Mediators Alliance on Climate Change by:

  • Committing to video technology as the primary medium for dispute resolution in our mediation practice;
  • Corresponding primarily through electronic means;
  • Requesting electronic copies, rather than hard copies, of documents to be provided to us;
  • Taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of our office.

Who is Online Mediation For?

The online divorce mediation process works for people of all ages and abilities.

You do not need to be a techie. All you need is:
  • A smartphone, tablet, or computer to join your session.
  • An email address to receive your documents and correspondence.
  • An internet or phone connection to participate.
We work with separating couples across a range of situations:
  • Both in British Columbia: You both live in British Columbia and want to resolve your separation here.
  • Different Provinces: One of you lives in British Columbia and the other lives in another Canadian province, and you have British Columbia family law issues (such as property in British Columbia) and want a British Columbia Separation Agreement.
  • Expats and Digital Nomads: One or both of you are living abroad or working as digital nomads, and you have British Columbia family law issues (such as property in British Columbia) and want a British Columbia Separation Agreement.
  • Outside British Columbia: Neither of you has ties to British Columbia, but you would like our help reaching agreement. In these cases, we prepare a Memorandum of Understanding, which you then take to a lawyer in your jurisdiction to prepare the appropriate final documentation under your local law.

Online mediation is also known as online divorce mediation, e-mediation, online mediation, distance mediation, online divorce, online dispute resolution, and online ADR.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is online mediation legally different from in-person mediation?
No. We cover the same legal issues in our discussion, and you will receive a legally binding Separation Agreement at the end of the process if you are in agreement on the details.
How do we exchange our financial disclosure if we don't meet in person?
We will open a secure Client Portal where you will both be able to upload your documents. Both of you and your mediator will be able to view all of the documents.
Do I have to be in the same room as my spouse for the video chat?
No. We actually strongly recommend that you attend the video meeting from different locations, even in a very amicable situation, so that there can't even be a perception that either one of you was pressured by the other into the agreement.

For more detailed information, see our FAQ page.