Family Mediation Services
“We often get caught up in our own reactions and forget the vulnerability of the person in front of us”
– Sharon Salzberg
What is family mediation?
Mediation – a kinder, gentler way for divorce or separation.
Any strife in a family unit causes a lot of distress to the members who are often too near to the problem to think clearly or behave logically. This prevents people to resolve their conflicts on their own.
As Family Mediators, our role is to facilitate a process of calm, fair and logic dialogue to assist you to reach a legally binding agreement.
Before you destroy what you have built up together, first speak to Just-Mediate. Allow us and our affiliated South African and Internationally accredited skilled consultants to facilitate the best cost-effective solution for your pressing conflict. We understand your devastation, despair and overall feeling of hopelessness, therefore we sincerely offer you our assistance.
For your sake as well as the sake of your family, we urge you to take that crucial first step back into the light. Contact us and we will Just-Mediate you through the rough waters back to the safety of the harbour.
Issues Necessitating Family Mediation
- Pre-Marriage Dialogue
- Divorce or Separation
- Maintenance
- Section 22 Settlement Agreements
- Parenting Plans
- Visitation Schedules
- Contact and Care
- Domestic Violence
- Family Meetings - Shared Decision Making
- Special Needs/Disability
- Family Business - Succession Planning
- Division of Assets
- Parent-Teen Conflicts Partnership
- Elder Care Conflicts Facilitation
Your Parenting Plan is a Road Map to Guide You on the Journey
Consider your parenting plan to be a road map that will direct how your children will be raised after separation or divorce. Such a plan is so incredibly detailed, that it pretty much makes conflict between the parties non-existent.
Just-Mediate will consult with you, the parties, and our associate specialist child forensic counsellor to explore all elements of family life. We will also assist you in reaching an agreement that all members of the family can life with.
As the child/ren grow older, their needs will change, therefore a Parenting Plan can be reviewed and adapted accordingly.
What will be dealt with in the Parenting Plan?
- Your child/ren’s living arrangements
- Maintenance for your child/ren
- Contact between your child/ren and any other significant person
- Schooling
- Religious upbringing
- Emergency protocol
- Discipline
- Anything else that may be of importance to you, the parents
Registration of the Parenting Plan
It is always better to register the parenting plan with the family advocate and to make it an order of court. A breach of the plan would then be seen as contempt of court.
However, most parents diligently comply with the terms of the parenting plan as they themselves have made the decisions contained in the plan.
Divorce & Post Divorce
Married or Unmarried Couples – With or Without Child/ren – Whichever Marriage Regime
There is no need to let the court decide what your life after divorce should look like.
Our aim is to assist you to reach a fair compromise on all issues and smooth out all concerns that you have difficulty to agree upon. During a Just-Mediate mediation session our professionally qualified and comprehensively experienced mediator facilitates communication between you, the parties.
This process is voluntary, confidential, informal and fair as well as safe and has one purpose only, that is to come to a reasonable and fair mutual agreement. Once all issues are successfully addressed and smoothed out, you are ready to proceed with the uncontested divorce process.
So, in your state of emotional upheaval and deepest vulnerability, while logical reasoning is very difficult, let Just-Mediate assist you. Not only do we understand your confusion and distress, but we also know what the issues are you need to mutually agree upon.
No need to struggle through murky waters on your own – Just-Mediate is throwing out a lifeline to you!
An Uncontested Divorce is Without Doubt the Quickest, Cheapest and Simplest Way to Get a Divorce in South Africa.
An uncontested divorce can be finalised within a matter of weeks as opposed to a contested divorce that can take years to be finalised. Not to mention the cost constraints of lawyers and courts that accompanies a contested divorce.
For your divorce be categorised as uncontested, you need to agree on all terms of your divorce. This requires you to agree upon certain fundamental issues such as propriety aspects, maintenance as well as contact and care of your child/ren.
Propriety aspects refer to the division of your property which, of course, is regulated by your marital regime.
Your Child/ren’s Best Interests are of Paramount Importance in Every Matter Concerning the Child/ren’s Care, Protection and Well-Being.
What does it take to co-parent? It means that it is simply not enough to put your child/ren’s needs before your own, but you also need a solid, well advised, considered and agreed upon plan.
Whether you are divorced, separated, or were never married, and have children together, you will be part of each other’s lives maintaining the best interest of your child/ren. Just-Mediate will gladly facilitate your set of written guidelines and expectations (parenting plan) for raising your child/ren together.
To achieve a successful co-parenting strategy with the best interest of your child/ren as paramount objective, you need to communicate with each other. This is non-negotiable.
Children Have a Voice as Prescribed in the Children’s Act 38 of 2005
It is important to remember that the ‘best interests of the child’ come first. This is the ruler against which everything to do with a child is measured.
It is a good idea to involve your child/ren in the decisions that affect them from the start of your divorce or separation. The involvement of children in decisions regarding parental responsibilities and rights that affect them, is of great relevance.
A solid, well thought-out parenting plan can be mediated with the help of the Family Advocate, Psychologist, Social Worker or a Family Mediator.The Act also specifies that the voice of YOUR child/ren should be heard.
Therefore your child/ren must be granted an opportunity to air his/her views. The content of the parenting plan must be explained to him/her. Of course the age as well as maturity of your child will be taken into consideration when hearing the voice of your child/ren.
advantages of mediation
Saves Time & Money
Through our mediation one can speed up settlements and reach agreements faster than through litigation. Thus saving time which, of course, translates to saving money. Going the court-and-lawyer way often unnecessarily draws out the process and can eventually become very expensive.
Holistic Approach
Our mediators provide legal as well as other relevant information to assist parties to make informed decisions taking into account aspects such as fairness, age of children, the children’s best interest, etc. There can be two mediators, one with legal, and one with psychological background.
Confidential
All discussions and information shared by the parties are confidential. Nothing can be used as evidence in court without consent of both parties and no mediators shall become witnesses. Court proceedings may become publicised, but what happens in the mediation room, stays there.
Voluntary
To go the mediation route, is completely voluntary. You choose if and how, and are free to end the mediation at any stage. Our mediator is impartial and does not impose decisions, but rather helps parties to understand each other’s position, so to reach a voluntary, mutually accepted agreement.
Greater Control
Our mediator simply facilitates the discussion of the problem between the parties to make sure each one gets a fair chance to voice their concerns. This way the parties share control over their lives after divorce and not the judge. Each one holds the power to decide about their futures in their own hands.
Convenient
A mediation session is informal, cordial and keeps distress to a minimum. It happens at a convenient venue as well as time and is kept simple and flexible to improve communication. Our mediator is neutral and experienced and offers support in difficult situations to both parties alike.
High Success Rate
Agreements reached in our mediation sessions are voluntary. Our impartial mediator facilitates co-operative efforts to reach mutually agreed upon settlements which are not imposed on them. This mostly results into parties diligently following their own stipulations in the agreement.
Preserve Relationships
Unsolved conflict can unfortunately completely destroy relationships. During our impartial mediation we focus on effective communication, respect towards each other, fairness and reasonable behaviour. Relationships need to be preserved because people have to live and work together.
Our Client Stories
Customer feedback is the true barometer of the merit of a company’s service. Share in the comments of some real-life customers.
Testimonial
Mr Pangas was tasked with assisting us draft a Parenting Plan. During my interactions and our sessions I always found Mr Pangas to be professional in his dealings with all parties concerned. He was also very knowledgeable on the Children’s Act and how the Courts operate…
Anna van Vuuren
Mr Pangas is knowledgeable in his field and always responds to the issue at hand with alacrity and in the most appropriate manner for the specific matter. We have referred Mr Pangas to our own clients with no hesitation or reserve.