The Distance Mediation Project, run by the B.C. Mediator Roster Society, is offering free family mediation services* to eligible families living in non-urban areas of British Columbia. These services are being offered until January 15, 2010 only.

In this Project, experienced family mediators use current information and communication technologies to bring families together for the mediation, rather than meeting in-person. There are many technologies families can choose from, including telephone, e-mail, videoconferencing and webconferencing.

To be eligible for the Project’s free mediation services, at least one of the participating family members must live in a non-urban community of British Columbia with a population less than 10,000. The issue(s) to be resolved must relate to separation or divorce in British Columbia. These include issues relating to parenting, child custody and access, financial support, and small or large family property matters. Everyone participating must agree to use technology for the mediation.

The Project’s goal is to find out how technology can best be used to provide high quality mediation services to families – especially families living in non-urban areas. By participating in the Project’s mediations, you will help family mediators gain new knowledge about how they can use different technologies to help families work out their disagreements.

The Project’s family mediators currently include the following members of the B.C. Mediator Roster Society’s Family Roster. The information and communication technologies the mediators are currently using for the Project’s family mediations are listed beside their names:

• Laura Luz: e-mail, Skype, telephone/teleconference, text message, real-time chat
• Carole McKnight: e-mail, Skype, telephone/teleconference
• Eugene Raponi: e-mail, Skype, telephone/teleconference
• Ronald Smith: e-mail, Skype, telephone/teleconference, GoToMeeting webconferencing

For more information about the Distance Mediation Project, or if you think you might like to try using the Project’s free family mediation services, please contact the Project’s Coordinator, Susanna Jani, at: