Following a separation, if you have dependent children, family mediation may help you settle all the aspects of your separation amicably. De facto spouses, like spouses who were married or in a civil union, can also benefit from the Québec government’s family mediation program.
Free mediation sessions
When you apply for mediation for the first time, you are entitled to six free sessions. For a review of a court judgment, you are entitled to three sessions.
You are free to select your own mediator (lawyer, notary, social worker or psychologist). However, to benefit from free sessions the mediator must charge the rate prescribed by law. You must pay for any extra sessions yourself.
VUE D'ENSEMBLE (in French only)
Médiation familiale - étapes (PDF : 14 Ko)
Note
If you choose a mediator who charges a different rate, you must pay all the costs yourself. After mediation, it is important to have your draft agreement ratified by the court, through a judgment making your agreement enforceable, or you must have it recorded by the special clerk, giving it the same effect as a judgment.
