Read our current newsletter!

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04/2020  Important Notice from Access for Parents and Children in Ontario (APCO) regarding Virtual Access. Click here to read the notice.


04/2020  COVID-19 NOTICE: Our services remain available via telephone and online. More details here.


02/2020   We have arranged for Bill Eddy, one of the most influential speakers in our field, to come and do a workshop on March 28, 2020! More details here (including registration link).


12/2019 Our Fall 2019 / Winter 2020 newsletter has arrived! For the latest news on community services, past and upcoming events, client testimonials, and more, click here.


02/2019 On Tuesday, February 26, 15 family social service agencies joined us in the lobby of 393 University Ave. (Toronto, Ontario) to spread the word about the services they offer in their communities.


12/2018 Attention Family Law Professionals: Starting December 19, our IRCs and mediators on-site at 311 Jarvis, 47 Sheppard and 393 University will be hosting a monthly early morning open house with a designated topic of discussion and lots of coffee. Counsel, judges, court staff and all of our justice partners are welcome to attend or just drop in for a coffee. Mark your calendars, our first topic is “Understanding IPV in the Context of Family Mediation” (December 19, 8:30 – 9:30 am)


10/2018 During the AFCC-O Conference on October 19, 2018, we had an information booth set up at the Toronto Reference Library. mediate393 employee, Rhodes Thompson-Chase, was there to provide information about our subsidized family mediation services.


10/2018 Information Referral Coordinator (IRC) Frances Maychak attended the “Support Matters: Resource Fair for Single Parents” at the Burrows Hall Community Centre in Scarborough. Frances was not only there heading the mediate393 information table but also delivered a ten-minute presentation about our subsidized family mediation services.

08/2018


Snapshots from mediate393’s “Annual Staff Get-Together”. August 2018.


08/2018

Agencies Supporting Separating Couples in Toronto

Working on the front line in Toronto’s courts, we are privileged to learn how many fantastic agencies are out there supporting families. IN the spring of 2018 we hosted two Ontario Court of Justice Agency Fairs, one at 311 Jarvis St., and the other at 47 Sheppard Ave. With the support of court management, staff, and Legal Aid Ontario Duty Counsel we invited many local agencies to share information about what they do. We have listed all the participating agencies in the inside pages, with a brief description of how they are helping families. Please use the resources we have in our community and support your courts! View the special newsletter


04/2018 We will be holding two Agency Fairs during Spring 2018! The fairs will be held at the following locations:   May 25th 47 Sheppard Ave. courthouse 11:00 am – 2:00 pm  June 7th 311 Jarvis St. courthouse 11:30 am – 2:00 pm It will be a great opportunity to connect with and learn about local services and community organizations that work with families in Toronto. Take home resource materials and light refreshments will also be available. We have invited a wide range of agencies to join us on June 7th: healthcare providers, family lawyers, mental health counsellors, newcomer services, advocates against domestic violence, youth justice organizations, parenting program providers and more. We would love to have you join us. Please RSVP for the 2018 Agency Fair and direct any questions or requests to [email protected].


06/2017  Our Program Coordinator, Kerri-Ann Mitchell (below), represented mediate393 to promote mediate services at the 2017 Health & Information Fair on June 7, 2017.


05/2017 We have a new series of radio ads, now active on 680 news. Listen below: mediate393 Radio Ad 1:

mediate393 Radio Ad 2:

mediate393 Radio Ad 3:


01/20/2017 – mediate393 inc. is currently seeking qualified professionals for the role of Information Referral Coordinator (IRC), and accredited or certified family mediators, to work in Toronto’s courts, particularly 47 Sheppard Avenue and 311 Jarvis St. locations.


11/11/2016 – mediate393 roster member Shely Polak and Gregg Fenten were recent guests on “Los Vecinos” a CHHA 1610 AM radio program. With Shely speaking in Spanish, and Gregg in English, they discussed family mediation, options to going to family court, as well as responding to callers regarding their challenges with high conflict situations and about the refusal of a parent to pay court-ordered child support and in dealing with Family Responsibility Office. “It was a productive conversation conducted in two languages,”, said Gregg.


10/26/2016 – Popular Toronto radio personality Barb DiGiulio speaks with Hilary Linton of Mediate393 about the benefits of mediation rather than going to court when ending a marriage, plus the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO), and Family Dispute Resolution Week (www.FDRweek.ca), Nov. 21 – 25, 2016.


“The Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO) is doing important work to raise awareness of alternative dispute options and to change the way that people think about conflicts and how to resolve them..” – Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Greeting video for FDRweek and FDRIO Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsz30Y10IAw Check out www.fdrio.ca for more information on FDRweek 2016. Join the#FDRevolution!


In a recent article published in the Toronto Star and the National post, entitled “Help for those going it alone in family court”, MSC (MySupportCalculator) mentioned mediate393’s subsidized services.


160817 - Collage - Summer Party 2016
Snapshots from mediate393’s “Annual Staff Get-Together”. July 2016.

Promoting Ontario’s Subsidized Family Information and Mediation Services! We spoke with Val Cole of Roger’s TV about what Ontario’s family mediation service providers have to offer! Val described it as “one of the best-kept secrets out there”. View the full interview below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2iSiEaVGpY


We want to let you know that Justice Canada has produced a new video (see below) to help families going through divorce or separation. The transcript and accessible version of this video are available on the Department of Justice Canada’s website. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=459RSwSP1oo


mediate393 led the way by drafting this submission to the Family Legal Services Review. It was revised and approved by nearly all of Ontario’s family mediation and information service providers! Great team work by the province’s most dedicated family mediators. Our President, Hilary Linton, met with Justice Bonkalo to discuss the submission on behalf of the service providers. (06/2016)


image1 (1) On January 29, 2016, mediate393 roster member Shely Polak was a guest on Voces Latinas, a Spanish radio talk show in Toronto to talk about Mediate393 and what it is like being a roster mediator. During the interview, Shely also discussed the types of services offered by mediate393, and their team of roster mediators.


The 2015-2016 schedule for the 311 Open Bar Series available here!


Our Family Law Resources reference document was released December 2015. The resources document is exclusively available to the mediate393 website. Click here to view it.


Our court-connected mediation and information services were featured in the ADR Update (Summer 2014).


Announcement: LAO introduces separation agreement certificates and independent legal advice certificates. Starting on July 3, 2014, Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) will issue certificates to cover up to 10 hours for the negotiation and creation of a separation agreement to settle custody, access, support and property issues. LAO is also expanding the availability of independent legal advice certificates for mediation clients across the province. This service can now be provided by any family panel lawyer, and in some cases, may be available to both parties. For more information, please visit the “Information for Lawyers” section on LAO’s website and select “Family Law Services” on the side panel.


Our court-connected mediation and information services were featured in the latest ADR Update.


Read all about us in the Lawyers Weekly!


Announcement: Independent Legal Advice for Mediation Clients through Legal Aid Ontario Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is piloting the use of special duty counsel authorizations for mediation clients to receive independent legal advice (ILA). The pilot, which will be available in this district and 13 other locations, will have LAO covering the cost of a Family Law Information Centre duty counsel family panel lawyer for up to six hours before, during and after mediation to help reach a sustainable agreement and transform it into a legally-binding document. Call LAO’s toll-free number at 1-800-668-8258 for further information. LAO will direct eligible clients to a list of available panel lawyers. For more information, please visit LAO’s website.


The Family Law Bench and Bar Committee at 393 University Avenue formally unveiled some fabulous new art on the 9th Floor. Students from Claude Watson School for the Arts created acrylic canvas pieces representing the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada. These pieces were inspired by Canadian artist Ted Harrison. Students from the younger grades (Lower School) at The York School contributed 20 multi-media pieces. There are bold, Mondrian-inspired pieces, colourful 3-D representations of Canada’s geological diversity as well as Lawren Harris inspired works, brightening up the newly renovated 9th floor. Being in court is hard for many families, and the introduction of these new pieces is a part of achieving the goal in ensuring that the Superior Court of Justice Family Court in Toronto is as welcoming as possible. The pieces were all done collaboratively, mirroring much of the efforts that are strived for amongst those in the Family Court in Toronto. The artwork was sponsored by lawyers or legal/mediation firms, which are recognized by the Bench and Bar through a plaque beside each piece. One of the paintings featured here (bottom row, center) was sponsored by mediate393 inc., which was done as a representation of Toronto’s skyline. Be sure to walk the halls and admire all the wonderful pieces on your next visit to the 9th floor.


(Left) Christine Kim and (Right) Elizabeth Hyde with host Gregg Fenten of Mediation Station

On April 29th, Roster mediator Christine Kim was a guest on 1610 AM radio show hosted and produced by one of the Family Law Information Centres Information Referral Coordinator’s, Gregg Fenten. The topic was on Parenting Coordination and high conflict families. The Mediation Station program is live on Sundays 8 to 9 p.m. on CHHA 1610 AM Voces Latinas. Executive Director Elizabeth Hyde was also a guest on the show back in January.

Family Law Information Centres (FLIC)

You can learn much more about available services, mediation, court process, separation, divorce and the law by visiting us at one of our Family Law Information Centres (FLIC).

416-977-0718

361 University Ave, Suite 146, Toronto, ON M5G 1T3

Get Directions
416-326-1694

311 Jarvis Street Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2C4(Between Gerrard and Dundas)

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416-250-6161

47 Sheppard Avenue East Toronto, Ontario M2N 5X5Main Floor (Just east of Yonge, south side of Sheppard)

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