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BC’s #1 Choice For Family Mediation
Mediations Completed
Years Experience
Separation and divorce can be challenging. I provide affordable, client-centred family mediation to help separating couples across BC work through parenting, financial and other decisions related to separation. Meet online from anywhere in BC or in person in Victoria. You stay in control of the outcome and work towards a separation agreement that works for your family.
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Family mediation in BC helps separating couples work through the decisions involved in separation and divorce with the guidance of an experienced mediator. These decisions can include parenting arrangements, child and spousal support, and the division of property and debt. Mediation gives you the opportunity to understand your options, consider each other’s perspectives and develop solutions that reflect your family’s circumstances and priorities. My role is to provide the structure, information and guidance to help you make informed decisions and reach a practical agreement that works for your family.
From parenting plans to property division, mediation gives you a clear, respectful way to work through the decisions that matter most to your family.
Work through parenting responsibilities, decision-making, communication and parenting schedules, including regular parenting time, holidays and special occasions, to develop a plan that works for your family.
Understand how child support is determined in BC and work towards an agreement on payments, including how to share expenses such as childcare, medical costs and extracurricular activities.
Work through the division of the family home, investments, pensions and debts, including whether any property may be excluded from division. A structured process helps keep discussions focused and productive.
Explore whether spousal support may apply and work towards an agreement on the amount and duration, with reference to the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines.
A clear, affordable process designed for BC families, with the pace and structure to help you reach practical agreements.
Step One:
We begin with an initial conversation to see whether family mediation is the right fit for your situation and whether my approach works for you. Reach out to an experienced BC Mediator today!
Step Two:
Together, we focus on the parenting, financial, and property decisions you need to resolve as a separating or divorcing BC family. I provide structure, information, and practical guidance while you stay in control of the decisions.
Step Three:
Most families addressing both parenting and financial issues can work through their decisions over two to three shorter sessions. Time between sessions allows you to gather information, consider options and seek advice if needed. Mediation doesn’t have to be a one-day marathon.
Step Four:
You can mediate without lawyers attending the sessions and seek independent legal advice when you need it or choose to involve lawyers at different stages. You can also have a lawyer review your separation agreement before signing. The choice is yours.
Step Five:
The goal is to help you make informed decisions and reach a practical, workable separation agreement that reflects your family’s circumstances and provides a clear path forward.
See how mediation compares to court for BC families going through separation or divorce.
Amy is a sought-after and experienced mediator with more than 1,300 mediations completed. She has developed a process that is affordable, practical, respectful and proportionate to the decisions you need to make. It is particularly well suited to couples who want to mediate together without lawyers present, while still having the option to involve lawyers if or when needed.
Amy has also designed and delivered mediation training for mediators and lawyers across Canada and is a Certified Advanced Comprehensive Family Mediator with Family Mediation Canada, the highest level of family mediation certification available in Canada.
I have known since I was a young adult that I wanted to be a mediator. It has always felt like a calling to me. What I was less certain about was when to make the change. In 2006, I made a significant personal and professional decision to leave a successful career in management consulting with a leading professional services firm and pursue mediation, despite genuinely enjoying my work and colleagues.
My goal was to support families through challenging times. After years of further education, training and experience, I founded Amy Robertson Mediation Services in 2014 and began mediating exclusively. Since then, I have had the privilege of conducting more than 1,300 mediations and refining my client-centred approach to family mediation.
Going through a separation or divorce is stressful, and choosing a mediator is an important decision. Hear from BC families who worked with Amy to reach practical agreements through a calm, respectful mediation process. Their experiences offer insight into what working with Amy is like.
We appreciate the work you have done for us and I believe the service you provided was the best for our situation. You’re a good person and you care for the people that you’re working with. That was my feeling throughout the short process of our mediation sessions.
Thank you so very much for all of your hard work, patience, kindness and compassion. I truly appreciated it, and you got everything resolved for both of us. I especially am looking forward to a new future. I am so grateful for you.
Thank you, Amy. Know that you are a blessing, not an easy process yet you attended to it with such skill, calm, and grace. It was both an honour and a pleasure to work with you and many thanks for sharing your talents and expertise with us, it is ever valued and appreciated.
Starting family mediation is easier than you might expect. Reach out to Amy to talk through your situation, ask questions and explore whether mediation is the right fit for you. There’s no pressure to make a decision right away.
Contact me and tell me a little about your circumstances and what you are hoping to resolve.
We’ll discuss your situation, how family mediation works and whether mediation may be appropriate for you.
There is no pressure to make a decision during the consultation. If mediation appears to be a good fit and both of you wish to proceed, I’ll explain the next steps.
Do you live in BC and have questions about mediation? Find clear answers to common questions about the mediation process, costs, timelines, and what to expect when working with a mediator in British Columbia.
Mediation can be a good option when both people are willing to participate in a process aimed at reaching their own agreement, even if they currently disagree about important issues.
You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin, and you do not need to agree on the outcome. What matters is whether both people can participate meaningfully in the process and whether the process can be structured in a way that supports informed and voluntary decision-making.
When both people do agree on most issues, we tend to move through the process faster and the mediation often costs less for these families.
Safety, significant power imbalances, communication difficulties and other circumstances can affect whether mediation is appropriate and how it should be structured. This is one reason I start by determining whether I am a good fit for both people before moving into the mediation process.
Choosing a mediator is about more than availability. Trust, expertise, experience and personality fit can all matter.
Related blog: Why Trust and Mediator Fit Matter in Family Mediation
Self-represented mediation is not about doing less, it’s about doing things differently.
When lawyers are not participating in the mediation sessions, the mediator is the only professional in the room. That means the process needs to provide enough structure, education and guidance for both people to participate meaningfully without becoming overwhelmed.
Over the years, I have intentionally adapted my process for self-represented clients. This can include shorter sessions, thoughtful pacing, relevant and streamlined financial disclosure, education about the issues being discussed, reality-checking proposals and time between sessions to reflect or obtain outside advice.
The process is also flexible. If both people want to move quickly, we can adjust the pace. If it becomes clear that legal advice or a lawyer’s participation would be helpful, that can be incorporated into the process.
Related blog: Supporting Self-Represented Spouses in Family Mediation
Self-determination is a hallmark of mediation and you ultimately get to choose whether or not you want to get legal advice from a family law lawyer.
In my experience, it often becomes clear if the parties involved should consult with a lawyer (no mediator can provide legal advice).
I can, however, provide legal information and help identify issues that may warrant further consideration. I can also explain the practical implications of different options and let you know when I think it may be useful to obtain advice from another professional.
Some clients choose to obtain independent legal advice before signing their final agreement. Others choose to speak with a lawyer at an earlier stage or when they reach a particularly complex issue. Many clients choose not to consult with a lawyer at all.
The important thing is that you understand the distinction between legal information and legal advice and have the opportunity to obtain independent advice if you want it.
Financial disclosure is an important part of making informed decisions, but I don’t believe it should automatically mean collecting every possible document before mediation can begin. I provide my clients with a streamlined checklist of documents needed for disclosure after our pre-meeting.
I have a strong financial background and approach financial disclosure by first understanding the decisions that need to be made and then determining what information will help both people make those decisions. It is best when families understand and agree to the dates and process together for relevant disclosure in mediation without lawyers present.
Depending on your circumstances, this may involve information about the family home, other property, debts, investments, pensions, RRSPs, businesses, income or other financial interests.
Sometimes an appraisal or valuation will be useful; sometimes it may not be necessary. In many cases, the people making the decisions should have a say in what information or valuation is needed.
The goal is to have enough reliable information to make informed decisions without creating unnecessary cost, delay or overwhelm.
Reaching agreement is an important milestone, but it is not necessarily the end of the process.
I draft an agreement that we review together so that everyone understands what has been agreed to and so that we can discuss how you want to make your agreement binding, as well as whether or not you want to get independent legal advice before you sign anything.
My goal is to make sure that the final stage is handled thoughtfully and for self-represented clients to know that there are options that involve using lawyers and options for those that do not want to use lawyers.
A clear and comprehensive separation agreement should give you a practical roadmap for moving forward.
Related blog: Do You Have to Be a Lawyer to Draft a Separation Agreement?
You will learn that working with me is one of the more affordable options available, while also benefiting from the experience I have gained through more than 1,300 mediations.
One of the reasons I focus on self-represented mediation is that it can reduce the number or time of professionals involved, which can lower the overall cost for my clients. I have also streamlined a process for my clients to get a legally binding separation agreement at no additional cost. Clients also have the option to pay a family law lawyer for independent legal advice or legal drafting.
My goal is to provide a process that is proportionate to the decisions you need to make and thorough enough to support informed decisions without adding unnecessary cost or complexity.
My entire process is designed to be cost-effective. Because every family’s circumstances are different, I am happy to discuss your situation and provide an estimate of the cost of your mediation. Please reach out to me to discuss pricing.
CONNECT WITH US
Amy’s Victoria, BC office is located on Oak Bay Avenue near the Jubilee neighborhood, with free parking available nearby for in-person appointments. Learn More About Mediation in Victoria and how to book. For clients anywhere else in British Columbia, online family mediation is available so you can meet from wherever’s most comfortable.
