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London Mediation Centre vs Private Mediation: Which Fits You?

London Mediation Centre vs Private Mediation

If you’re researching the London Mediation Centre, you’re likely navigating — or trying to stay out of — the family court system somewhere in Southwestern Ontario. This page explains what the Centre does, who their services fit best, and when a private mediation practice is the better match. Both are legitimate paths; the right one depends on your situation.

Written by Ken Maynard, CDFA, Acc.FM — Accredited Family Mediator (OAFM) and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. Last reviewed: [DATE].

What Is the London Mediation Centre?

Mediation Centre Ontario Inc., based in London, is a family mediation provider contracted by Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General — and their territory is the largest of any court-connected provider in the province’s southwest, covering ten courthouses:

London · Chatham · Owen Sound · Sarnia · Windsor · Stratford · Goderich · Woodstock · Walkerton · St. Thomas

Their services include:

  • Free on-site court-attached mediation — up to two hours for parties in family court
  • Subsidized off-site mediation for broader family law matters
  • Child-inclusive mediation and intergenerational mediation for multi-generational family decisions such as elder care
  • The Mandatory Information Program (MIP) and Information & Referral Coordinators (IRC) — free information services connecting families to community supports

London office: 380 Wellington Street, Tower B, 6th Floor 

These are valuable services delivered by accredited mediators across an enormous region, and for many Southwestern Ontario families — especially those already in the court system, working within a tight budget, or needing child-inclusive or elder-care mediation — the Centre is exactly the right resource. If that’s you, call them.

For current details about London Mediation Centre’s programs, availability, fees, and locations. Visit the London Mediation Centre website

When the London Mediation Centre Is a Good Fit

  • You have a court file at any of the ten courthouses they serve. Their on-site mediation is free for up to two hours with an active case — often enough to settle a focused issue on a court day.
  • Cost is the deciding factor. Subsidized off-site rates make professional mediation accessible at prices a private practice can’t match.
  • Your dispute isn’t a separation. Their child-inclusive and intergenerational mediation services address elder-care and multi-generational matters that go beyond divorce mediation.

When Private Mediation Is a Good Fit

  • You don’t have a court file — and want to keep it that way. Private mediation resolves everything outside the court system entirely, from first conversation to signed separation agreement.
  • Your finances are complex. Southwestern Ontario separations carry distinctive assets: family farms and agri-business from Grey-Bruce to Elgin, where land, quota, equipment, and succession plans all enter the equalization math; Windsor-area households with cross-border employment and
  • U.S. income; professional practices and incorporations around London’s hospitals and universities. Valuing these properly — including the tax inside them — is Certified Divorce Financial Analyst territory.
  • Two free hours won’t cover it. The Centre’s free on-site window is genuinely useful for focused issues; a full separation with property, pensions, and parenting needs sustained working sessions.
  • Scheduling and pace matter. Evening, weekend, and virtual sessions; extended working blocks; a start date set by you rather than a court calendar — practical around planting, harvest, plant shifts, and clinic hours.
  • Privacy is a priority. In smaller centres like Goderich or Walkerton, a court file is public in a community where people know each other; a mediated separation is not.

Side-by-Side Comparison

 

  London Mediation Centre DTSW Private Mediation
Best for Families with a court case at their ten courthouses, subsidized-rate eligibility, or child-inclusive/intergenerational needs Families with no court file, complex finances, or scheduling needs
Cost Free on-site up to 2 hours (with court case); off-site subsidized Flat-rate packages, quoted up front
Financial analysis Mediation services Mediation + Certified Divorce Financial Analyst on every file
Where London office; ten courthouses London to Owen Sound to Windsor London meeting location, other Ontario locations, and fully virtual across the region
Scheduling Office hours; on-site Tue/Wed by appointment Evenings, weekends, virtual; extended sessions available
Scope Southwestern Ontario, court-connected and community Anywhere in Ontario, independent of any court process
Continuity Assigned through the service Same mediator start to finish

Both paths lead to the same destination — a resolution your family can live with. The difference is the route.

Why Families Choose the Soft Landing Method

Divorce the Smartway (DTSW) built the Soft Landing Divorce Settlement Method around one idea: separations resolve better when the financial analysis happens inside the mediation, not after it. As both an Accredited Family Mediator and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, Ken works through valuation, equalization, support scenarios, and tax consequences at the same table where the decisions get made.

What that looks like in practice:

  • Efficiency — most families complete the process in about four working sessions; complex situations take the time they genuinely need, with no arbitrary limits either way.

  • Financial depth — business and practice valuations, pension division, stock compensation, and cross-border assets analyzed properly, with outside specialists integrated into sessions when the file calls for it.

  • A customized process — joint sessions, shuttle mediation, or a hybrid; parenting first or finances first; your lawyers involved as much or as little as you choose.

  • Legally durable agreements — comprehensive Separation Agreements drafted for review by each spouse's independent legal counsel, with Independent Legal Advice encouraged at key points so the final document binds and lasts.

Ready to explore whether it fits your situation? Schedule a free 15-minute Get Acquainted Call — no obligation, complete confidentiality. If London Mediation Centre or another path is the better fit for you, we'll say so.

Can we do mediation without driving into Barrie?2026-08-04T20:00:54-04:00

Yes. Most of our Simcoe County families — from Wasaga Beach to Bradford — complete the entire process over Zoom, with sessions scheduled around work, shifts, and the kids. In-person sessions at our Barrie meeting location remain available whenever face-to-face works better.

The Mediation Centre or a private mediator — how do I choose?2026-08-04T19:59:47-04:00

Start with two questions. First: do you already have a court file? If yes, the Centre’s subsidized in-court service is worth using. Second: how complex are your finances? If your separation involves a business or trade, pensions, a cottage or recreational property, or significant tax considerations — or if you want to resolve everything without ever opening a court file — a private mediator with financial credentials is built for exactly that.

Do I have to use the Mediation Centre if I have a court case in Barrie?2026-08-04T19:58:29-04:00

No — mediation is voluntary in Ontario. If you have a family court file in Simcoe County, the Centre’s in-court mediation is available and worth considering. But you can also choose any private mediator, or no mediator at all. What most family court cases do require is attending the Mandatory Information Program.

Is the Barrie Mediation Centre free?2026-08-04T19:57:53-04:00

Their court-connected mediation is subsidized rather than free, with fees geared to income and the number of dependent children — for lower-income families this can mean very low cost. Their Family Law Information Centre (FLIC) services at the Barrie, Orillia, and Bracebridge courts are provided without charge.

More about the Soft Landing Divorce Mediation Method

An Alternative for Southwestern Ontario Families: The Soft Landing Method

Divorce the Smartway (DTSW) serves the region through our London meeting location and online divorce mediation everywhere from Windsor to Owen Sound — most families outside London complete the entire process over Zoom. As both an Accredited Family Mediator and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, Ken works through valuation, equalization, support scenarios, and tax consequences at the same table where the decisions get made.

What that looks like in practice for this region:

  • Efficiency — most families complete the process in about four working sessions; complex situations take the time they genuinely need, with no arbitrary limits either way.
  • Financial depth — farm and agri-business valuation with succession and quota in view; cross-border income and U.S.-connected assets for Windsor-area families; professional practices and incorporations analyzed properly, including the contingent tax inside each.
  • A customized process — joint sessions, shuttle mediation, or a hybrid; sessions scheduled around harvest, shifts, and two careers; your lawyers involved as much or as little as you choose.
  • Legally durable agreements — comprehensive Separation Agreements drafted for review by each spouse’s independent legal counsel, with Independent Legal Advice encouraged at key points.

Ready to explore whether it fits your situation? Schedule a free 15-minute Get Acquainted Call — no obligation, complete confidentiality. If the London Mediation Centre or another path is the better fit for you, we’ll say so.

What Is the Soft Landing Divorce Settlement Method?

A separation agreement is only as good as the numbers underneath it — and in this region the numbers can be genuinely hard: what is the farm actually worth, what does a buyout of the home cost at today’s rates, what happens to a pension or a practice in after-tax reality?

The Soft Landing Divorce Settlement Method works through them in a structured sequence: every asset identified and properly valued, incomes assessed, post-separation budgets built, both futures projected, and complete settlement scenarios compared side by side. When both spouses can see that an agreement works, saying yes stops being frightening.

Most families finish in about four working sessions; the method sets the sequence, not a stopwatch.

Explore the full Soft Landing Method roadmap →

Where to Find a Neutral Professional

Mediators may also be members of one of the following organizations, each of which provides standards of professional conduct and complaints processes:

Other professionals working as neutrals:

About Ken Maynard

Ken Maynard, CDFA, Acc.FM is an Accredited Family Mediator and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst serving Ontario families since 2010, including Barrie and Simcoe County through our Barrie meeting location.

The Acc.FM designation is granted by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM); the CDFA designation certifies specialized training in the financial side of divorce. Ken is the creator of the Soft Landing Settlement Method and host of the Soft Landing Podcast. (Mediate.com badges, linked to profile.)

Mediation is not a substitute for independent legal advice. We recommend each party obtain ILA before signing any separation agreement. DTSW is not affiliated with London Mediation Centre.

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About the Author:
Ken Maynard
 
 kmaynard@dtsw.ca 
 Next Step - Schedule a Get Acquainted Call

I help intelligent, successful couples move through separation without getting pulled into the adversarial legal system. Together we craft a custom separation agreement that sets you up for a secure future and a smooth transition to the next chapter.

Many couples reach a complete agreement in about four meetings. Others need more time, and that's fine. The pace is set by your situation, not by a formula. Either way, you sidestep most of the conflict, confusion, and cost that come with going through the courts.

You can work with me by video conference or meet in person with a DTSW associate at any of our six Greater Toronto mediation centres in Aurora, Barrie, North York, Vaughan, Mississauga, and Scarborough.

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2026-08-12T22:32:02-04:00