CLE Online

DAY 1 – Wednesday, December 4

• Setting the context for more complex mediations
• Preparation, process design, and information gathering for multi-party processes
• Shifting climate and intention from adversarial to co-operative problemsolving: working with competitive power dynamics in the realm of experts, data, and objective criteria
• Creativity in family mediation: using imagination, story, ritual, and “beginner’s mind” to break impasse and open possibilities
• Mediating the financial issues: support and property division
• Skills component: working collaboratively with finances—pension plans, investments, budgets, debts, and guidelines

DAY 2 – Thursday, December 5

• Mediation’s interface with family law legislation
• Working with the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines
• Issues of fairness in mediating property division and support
• High-conflict families: challenges for mediation, effects upon children, unearthing negative advocacy, and splitting
• Mental health and substance abuse issues: analyzing and structuring process to work with these complexities
• Skills component: ensuring inclusiveness and practical strategies for working with high conflict personalities

DAY 3 – Friday, December 6

• Culture and values-based clashes: how to negotiate the “non-negotiables”
• Issues respecting separation of same sex couples
• Transforming grievance stories to plans for peaceful co-existence
• Formalizing consensus: detailing the financial settlement, working with counsel, monitoring, review, and implementation
• Skills component: immediacy, reality checking while maintaining relationship, building buy-in, and readiness for closure
• Practice panel: starting your own mediation practice—pitfalls and practical tips for success