Settle your divorce fairly, without a courtroom.

Divorce mediation is a voluntary process in which a neutral, accredited mediator helps you and your spouse reach your own agreement on the issues that matter - care of and contact with the children, maintenance, and the division of assets. Unlike litigation, nobody is trying to win. The mediator does not take sides and does not decide the outcome; you do. The result is usually faster, far cheaper and considerably less damaging to the relationship you will still need for co-parenting.

Mediation is dramatically less expensive than a contested divorce. A litigated divorce runs up two sets of attorney fees, counsel fees and court costs over months or years. Mediation is a shared cost, billed per session, and most matters settle in a handful of sessions. Contact us for current rates - the first 15-minute consultation is free and carries no obligation.

Most families reach agreement within four to eight sessions, typically spread over four to ten weeks. The pace is set by you rather than by a court roll, so matters that are well prepared and where both parties engage openly move quickly. Complex financial estates or high-conflict parenting disputes take longer.

The mediated settlement becomes legally binding once it is signed and made an order of court. At the end of mediation we prepare a written settlement agreement and, where children are involved, a parenting plan. These are then taken to your attorney to be incorporated into the divorce order. Until that point the discussions remain confidential and without prejudice.

Yes, and we encourage it. A mediator is impartial and cannot give either party legal advice. You should have your own attorney review the settlement agreement before you sign it, and an attorney is needed to file the divorce with the court. What mediation changes is the scope: your attorney checks and files an agreement you have already reached, rather than fighting to construct one.

Yes. Dr. Jamie Rheeder is accredited by NABFAM (the National Accreditation Board for Family Mediators), trained through the Mediation Academy, and holds a PhD in Theology with specialist expertise in Spiritual Direction. He has more than 36 years of practice in pastoral care, dispute management and conflict resolution, including pro bono mediation at Soweto's Protea Court.

Both are available. Sessions run in person in Gauteng or over video call, which works well when the parties live in different cities or provinces, when one party has relocated, or simply when scheduling around work and children is difficult. Online mediation is equally valid and equally confidential.

Sessions are conducted in English or Afrikaans, whichever you are most comfortable expressing yourself in. Being able to speak in your own language matters a great deal when the subject is your family.

Not in the negotiation itself. Children are never asked to choose between parents or to sit in on adult discussions. Where it is appropriate and both parents agree, a child's views may be heard separately and age-appropriately so that the parenting plan reflects their reality. The focus throughout is on protecting children from the conflict, not drawing them into it.

Nothing you have said in mediation can be used against you afterwards - the process is confidential and without prejudice. If agreement is not reached on every issue, you remain free to litigate, and in practice many couples settle most of the issues in mediation and take only the genuinely deadlocked points further. Even a partial agreement narrows the dispute and reduces the cost of what follows.

For the free 15-minute consultation, nothing at all - it is simply a conversation about whether mediation suits your situation. For the first full session, bring a broad picture of your finances (income, major assets, debts, and any existing agreements or court orders) and, if you have children, their school and care arrangements. Full disclosure is gathered as the process goes on; you do not need everything on day one.

Often, yes. Mediation is not only for couples who are still on good terms - that is the most common misconception about it. A skilled mediator manages the temperature of the conversation, keeps it structured, and can meet parties separately where that helps. Mediation is not appropriate where there is abuse or intimidation, and we will say so plainly if that is the case.

Both parties attend the joint sessions, because mediation only works when everyone is in the room. Where it helps, the mediator may also meet each party privately in a separate caucus session.