Services Available in the Supreme Court Family Division Mediation - this page CONCILIATION >> In conciliation, a Court officer will assess the parties' situaation and consider the appropriate options available to them. ASSESSMENTS >> provide the Court with information and/or recommendations on how the needs of the child may best be met. PARENT INFORMATION >> This program assists parents to support their children during the Court process. |
Mediation is different from Conciliation
Mediation is a voluntary process; each party must agree to participate, to try to reach a resolution of the issues. In conciliation, there is no negotiation of the issues. Instead, the court officer/Conciliator helps you to sort out what to do about your situation and what the next steps might be.
Mediation is intended to .....
~ have the parties work voluntarily with a trained mediator (often a lawyer or social worker) ~ have the mediator assist each person to talk about their needs and issues, and help the parties negotiate to resolve their issues
Mediators must remain neutral when providing mediation services, which means they cannot provide advice to either party. The mediator will draft a document, often in the form of a court order, setting out any agreement reached.
There is a mediation service available through the Supreme Court, Family Division. Check with the local courthouses in Halifax, Port Hawkesbury or Sydney about the specifics of what service is offered at that site.
If you are referred for mediation through the court, fees for the service will be determined on a sliding scale, based on each party’s income. If you have a low income you may not have to pay a fee.
You can also access mediation services by hiring a private mediator, who will charge a fee for their services.
Here is a website that offers more information relating to the law, the processes, and the services that make up family law in Nova Scotia. It will help you understand your family law issue and will provide tools to help solve your problem.
To access the Family Law Nova Scotia website, click on the column graphic to the left .