In the heart of Mississauga, Mary, a 49-year-old school teacher at a Brampton Elementary School, and Bruce, a 51-year-old plumber servicing the Mississauga communities of Cooksville, Clarkson, Port Credit and Lorne Park, found themselves at the crossroads of divorce. With their children, Madison and Mackenzie, attending high school in Streetsville, they were determined to avoid a drawn-out negotiation. Instead, seeing the fallout of Mary’s sister’s acrimonious divorce, they agreed that Divorce Mediation was their family’s best path forward.
Bruce, with a net annual income of $87,000 from his plumbing business, and Mary, earning $93,000 per year as a school teacher, jointly owned a home with $1,250,000 in equity and a remaining mortgage balance of $550,000.
Regarding non-joint assets, Bruce’s plumbing business was valued pre-tax at $135,000, and his RRSP at $216,600. Mary’s teacher’s pension had a pre-tax value of $600,000. In addition, they each owned cars and had individual bank accounts.
Their liabilities included Bruce’s total debts of $426,845 and Mary’s debts of $467,845, comprising their respective shares of the mortgage, joint RBC Visa Credit Card, and car loans. In addition, more obligations were tied to the valuations of their more significant assets. For example, Mary had a $114,000 contingent tax liability connected to her pension, and Bruce had a $45,000 liability associated with his RRSP and business valuation.
With Ken Maynard at DTSW the divorce mediation process began with joint Zoom video conference sessions. The first step was signing an Agreement to Mediate, establishing the principles of voluntariness, mediator impartiality, confidentiality, and commitment to the process. This agreement set the stage for open communication and understanding, letting Bruce and Mary outline their agenda and eventually settle.
The beauty of mediation shone through in their case. Instead of a “win-lose” outcome typical of court proceedings, they achieved an agreeable resolution that both parties were comfortable with. The success of mediation isn’t about “winning” but creating a harmonious new family structure, especially when children are involved.
Bruce and Mary’s story is a testament to the power of divorce mediation. After resolving their issues, they even embarked on a European trip with their children, maintaining a firm but restructured family unit. Their final meeting featured virtual tours of their new homes and a friendly chat with their family pet, a heartwarming end to their journey towards a “Soft Landing.”