UNCOUPLED

Mediation services to families and couples getting divorced.

Simpler

Less complicated as you focus on solutions rather than the complexities of winning a battle.

Smarter

Less costly as you avoid expensive legal fees and potentially traumatic litigation.

Kinder

Less conflictual & confusing as you work together to develop your plans for divorce and co-parenting.

About Belinda

Belinda is an admitted attorney with comprehensive expertise in family law, trust management, estate planning and administration, as well as commercial drafting. She is an accredited family and divorce mediator and a member of SAAM (The South African Association of Mediators). Belinda provides mediation services to families and couples getting divorced to help them work together to find creative solutions to complex family problems. Belinda completed her legal studies at the University of Port Elizabeth. She completed her articles at Kaplan, Blumberg, Friedman and Scheckter. Once she was admitted as an attorney, she joined the Legal Aid Board where she focused on family law and the protection of the rights of children. After that, she joined Ernst & Young as a legal advisor until she was appointed as a director at the CA Trust Company. She completed the Law Society of South Africa Certificate Course in Wills, Estates and Trusts and the STEP (Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners) Certificate in International Trust Management.

After being on both sides of the divorce process, Belinda realised that in most divorces, no one wins when couples ’lawyer up’. Divorce is hard enough without unnecessary heartache, expensive legal fees and unkind litigation, which can continue for years. The divorce process often ends up in a broken, damaged relationship between two adults who still need to interact and work together as co-parents. With mediation, divorce can be more straightforward, kinder and cheaper as couples are focused on finding solutions and negotiating guidelines for raising healthy, happy and well-adjusted children. Not only does this benefit their children’s future but also their own as it minimises the conflict, confusion and complexity of co-parenting children beyond divorce.
Belinda trained as a mediator and now works in this field with the goal of helping couples focus on creative problem-solving for complex family problems. As such, she facilitates a space in which couples can come together to agree on decisions and put together a plan that works for both of them. Through this process, she aims to help them negotiate an agreement which will assist the move into the next chapter of their lives and their new relationship as co-parents.

Belinda offers online sessions through Zoom and Google Meet platforms.

Divorce and Family Mediation Services

Divorce mediation provides an alternative path for couples who don't want a traditional court battle. During divorce mediation, the couple works with a trained neutral third party (the mediator) to agree on the issues that must be settled in a divorce. These include all the same issues that have to be decided in the court-based divorce process, for example, parenting arrangements for children, maintenance for children, equitable distribution of assets/liabilities and spousal maintenance. It is an attempt by the parties to settle the issues in dispute in a divorce amicably.

Divorce mediation offers a compassionate and supportive environment for couples to work with a mediator who facilitates the challenging process of coming to a resolution. The parties work together to find creative solutions to their problems. The process encourages both parties to feel empowered in creating an agreement that works best for their specific circumstances. Every couple and family is different. Couples can negotiate almost any part of their divorce during the mediation process.

It is important to note that the mediator doesn’t make decisions for the couple but rather facilitates a space in which they are able to make decisions themselves. The mediator can assist the couple to better understand their options and can guide them as to legal requirements. The mediator remains neutral and avoids stating preferences or recommendations, but rather enables meaningful negotiation and decision-making by the couple themselves.

The main goal of mediation is to reach a complete settlement agreement outside of court, hereby avoiding the cost and the trauma of a court case. At the end of the mediation process, the mediator will set out the agreement reached by the parties in writing in a Memorandum of Understanding. Family mediation allows for agreements which address present circumstances but also take the future into account. If necessary, family meditators can meet with the co-parents after the divorce again and continue to work through any new co-parenting issues as circumstances with children change. This process can alleviate much of the conflict which arises in co-parenting and also ensure a more secure and constructive context for the children involved.

Successful divorce and family mediation can help save you money, time and unnecessary emotional heartache.

The Mediation Process

What is involved?

The number of sessions necessary to complete the mediation process will depend on the complexity of the issues at hand and the willingness of both parties to cooperate, communicate and compromise.
Sessions last 60 minutes, but can be changed as needed.

What are the costs?

Sessions: R900 per 60 minutes.
Drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding: R900.
Drafting of a Parenting Plan: R900.

Online Sessions through Zoom and Google Meet.

A Zoom Meeting link will be sent to you via email.
If you don't yet have Zoom installed, you will need to download the application and install it. You can do this by clicking on Download Zoom

When you open it you will find a option “Join Meeting”. Click it.
Enter your meeting id and your name (if needed/not necessary).
When you click Join meeting. It would ask for password if the one conducting had set a password . Enter it and click oK.

Click the meeting link sent to you via email.
Follow the onscreen prompts to join the meeting.

Resources

FAQ

What is family and divorce mediation?

Family and divorce mediation is a process in which the mediator, a neutral third party who has no decision making power, facilitates the negotiations between families and couples getting divorced with the object of getting them back to speaking terms and helping them to make their own decisions on some or all of the issues involved and, if possible, to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement that recognises the needs and interests of all the family members.

What is the difference between an opposed divorce and an unopposed divorce?

An opposed divorce is when parties disagree on the terms of their divorce. They are more complex and time-consuming.

An unopposed divorce is when parties agree on the terms of their divorce. They are simpler and faster.

Will I need an attorney during mediation?

If you and your spouse are comfortable completing the mediation and agreeing on parenting arrangements for children, child maintenance, equitable distribution of assets and liabilities, and spousal maintenance you will not need an attorney during the mediation. However, it's important to note that a mediator does not provide legal advice or legal representation. It's always advisable to consult with an attorney to review the terms of your mediated agreement and ensure that they align with your best interests.

Following a successful mediation, if all divorce-related issues are resolved, you can move forward with an uncontested divorce. This process will require the assistance of an attorney to draft, issue, serve, or file the necessary legal paperwork and finalise your divorce.

Is my divorce final after mediation?

Reaching an agreement through mediation is a major step in your divorce, but it's not the final one. If you and your spouse resolve everything in mediation, you can proceed with an unopposed divorce. This will involve an attorney's help with paperwork and a court appearance. The divorce isn't finalised until a court grants your divorce decree.

Contact us

Should you have any questions and would like to reach out to Belinda, feel free to connect with her via EMAIL

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Alternatively, please complete the contact form and Belinda will respond to you as soon as possible.

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