How Much Does Divorce Mediation Cost in Nova Scotia?
Let me just quickly tell you what I believe and why I do this work.
I believe that you shouldn’t have to go broke to break-up. I believe that things should be easier and more affordable in one of the toughest seasons of your life. I believe that divorce doesn’t have to wipe out your account (or hurt your kids, but that is for another post).
I believe all of this because I have been through a divorce and went the typical lawyer route. It was fine, pretty low-conflict all things considered. I had a co-habitation agreement that made the house split straightforward, no kids and no pension to split up or support to pay. So it should have been as straightforward as they come…and it still cost me around $10,000. And this was nearly 10 years ago.
Now imagine you ARE in a high-conflict, high-emotion situation, you have kids, no prenuptial agreement, pensions, RRSPs, etc etc. This adds up with a lawyer, fast.
Instagram famous divorce lawyer James J. Sexton will tell clients in a situation like this: “do you want to pay for my kids’ college fund or your own?”
So now for the breakdown of what mediation will cost you in Nova Scotia…
There are some firms that will charge for weekly programs like this one and they will range from a $1,200 to $3,800.
In my practice, the hourly rate is $175 and because I am a registered counsellor, this is often covered by clients’ insurance.
The process looks like this:
Intro Calls
Free intro calls are available to both parties to make sure everyone has the information to consent or answer any questions they may have. These are done virtually or over the phone and are about fifteen minutes.
Cost- FREE
1:1 Intakes
Then I meet with each person privately via Zoom for an hour to talk about their experience and their goals, screen for power imbalances or domestic violence, and build the working relationship.
Cost- $175 per person (covered by insurance)
Joint Mediation
Unless there is a concern about safety, I meet with both parties over Zoom together for a two-hour appointment I am trained in Insight Mediation. Its ethos is about fostering more understanding between parties to create breakthroughs which is why I will try to see people together when possible. Depending on the extent of the agreement (just parenting, or a complete agreement of parenting, support and property) most people need anywhere between two and six sessions. I bill two hours for report writing at the same hourly rate.
Each joint session is $350, usually split in half for $175 per person.
So let’s say you need a complete agreement with a parenting plan, support calculated and property division with equalization calculation and plan to split costs with the other party:
Info Call- Free
Intake- $175
5 Joint Mediations - $875
Report Writing - $175
Total= $1,225
Depending on your insurance benefits, you will be paying a fraction of this.
If you only need three joint sessions, then your total would be $875.
Here are some other expenses to keep in mind that may be apart of your situation:
Voice of the Child Report- A Registered Social Worker or Registered Counselling Therapist will meet with each child in both homes once, usually at a rate of $175 per hour. For one child, this would be $350 but will increase per child and may include fees for report writing.
Counselling for yourself, your children or family- Usually at $175 an hour, covered by insurance. There are also low-cost options as well you can access.
Independent Legal Advice - usually around $330 an hour depending on the lawyer
Financial Analyst- Depends on the analyst. This would be especially useful for complicated cases involving businesses, farms, extensive pensions, cash income, etc.
Actuary- This is an invaluable resource to calculate your pension if you are planning to buy another party out of it. Most pension plans only provide a monthly amount where as an actuary will give you a lump sum and several scenarios for different retirement dates so you can pick one that is fair. This can be a bigger expense as you will receive a comprehensive report as well. Budget for $600-$1,200.
Mortgage Broker- Free
Real Estate Agent- Free
If you are selling a house or buying out a party from a property, most brokers will require a Separation Agreement. This means a lawyer will turn your Mediation Report into a Separation Agreement. Depending on the lawyer, this is around $2,000.
I charge per session, usually on the client’s credit card on file, so there is no retainer required up-front. The client then submits the receipt to their insurance provider for reimbursement.
Each mediator does things a little differently in terms of payment structure, like requiring a retainer up-front, only meeting with people separately, billing for equalization spreadsheets. I hope this answers some questions you might have about how this process looks, at least at my practice.
