Three Words: Mediation, Arbitration, and Conciliation

Mediation. Arbitration. Conciliation. Three words that sound alike and come up frequently in the family law context but have different meanings and implications. I could write a blog post on each one, but here is the “down and dirty” on what you need to know about each one so you can talk intelligently with either your spouse or a lawyer and do not get tripped up along the way.

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Mediation May Help Couples Resolve Conflicts Better Than One-On-One Discussion

No matter how much you love your partner, there are always going to be things about them that get on your nerves. These can be fairly superficial — not liking the way they fold the laundry, for example, or hating their favourite TV show. Other problems can be more serious — fundamental failures to communicate or disagreements on big decisions like having children. There’s also evidence that we continue to repeat these patterns in new relationships, even when we hope to see a change.

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The Difference between Divorce Mediation and Divorce Litigation

One of the foremost stressors of a lifetime is going through a divorce. Conflicts over the division of property, finances, and parenting arrangements can rapidly escalate. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Primarily, each person chooses between divorce mediation and divorce litigation. Knowing the difference between the two choices paves the way to an efficient and effective conclusion. At Stevens Law offices, we offer both and are here to clarify the options.

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Nova Scotia’s eCourt platform is first online judicial dispute resolution service in Canada

Nova Scotia’s eCourt recently launched online dispute resolution pilot program enables counsel for both parties and the judge to communicate in real time.

The pilot program, which went live in July, aims to allow those with simple family legal issues, such as divorce, child custody, spousal support or child support, to more simply, safely, easily and affordably access the courts to resolve these matters, stated the news release from the Nova Scotia government.

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How do you get an unwilling partner or spouse to consider Dispute Resolution?

It is not uncommon for parties who have recently separated to have a different emotional response to the breakdown of their relationship. For example, whereas one party may have already accepted it and be keen to explore how to divide assets and property, or discuss the future arrangements for children, the other party may be feeling angry and upset and as such, less able to move forward.

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