When Dawn Porter-Schofield divorced many years ago, she spent a lot of money on a litigation process that caused psychological damage to her children. "It was a painful court battle," she recalls, "and I didn’t know what mediation was. The lawyers inflamed emotions and caused everything to spiral out of control." Wasn't there a better way?

There is. Porter-Schofield has been a mediator since 2000 and now runs Cornerstone Mediation, providing a reliable resolution process with compassion for divorcing spouses. In divorce mediation, a neutral mediator helps both parties negotiate in a confidential setting, establishing a foundation for effective communication post-divorce.

A natural at divorce mediation

Porter-Schofield has a natural ability to make clients feel comfortable enough to speak frankly with her. An excellent listener, she can sense what their real needs and desires are and discern the true nature of a situation. "It goes beyond body language," she explains. "I know when to dig deeper and uncover something others would miss."

She adds, "My favorite question is 'why?' You can't help somebody unless you understand where they're coming from and what direction they're going in. I gain that information by asking 'why?' and listening to what clients say and how they say it. I do everything I can to make them relaxed with me."

Expertise in both law and psychology

With an Honours B.A. in psychology and a strong educational background in law, Porter-Schofield advises clients from two essential perspectives. "It gives me the best of both worlds," she says. "If you know only law, you're at a disadvantage in understanding human behavior." But legal knowledge is important in helping clients create valid divorce agreements, and she has completed her Master’s degree in law (specializing in Alternative Dispute Resolution).

Porter-Schofield also mediates related family issues such as estate disputes and parent-teen conflicts, as well as workplace mediation. "Referrals often come from divorce cases, and some divorce clients have issues with estates for the children. It's all related." Numerous past magazine profiles and an interview on the Sharon Caddy Show attest to her credibility as a family-conflict expert.

A focus on children and the future

Porter-Schofield is writing a book for young children about dealing with their parents' divorce. "For me, it's all about the children," she says. "That's why I got into mediation in the first place: to help children of divorce. Whether they're six or 18, divorce has an effect on them. I put the children first and help parents understand how divorce alters their behavior."

Her goal is to help restructured families deal with the future. "Their problems won't just go away. They can escalate afterward, when I'm no longer there to regulate them." So she coordinates parenting and property plans to work in the long term. "Good communication leads clients to post-divorce success, so they handle big issues better when they come up again. We work it all into the final agreement."

Close to 100% rate of success

With a near-100% success rate, Cornerstone Mediation combines Porter-Schofield's legal and therapeutic knowledge with her compassion and personal understanding of what divorcing clients are going through. Cornerstone Mediation will help you explore issues related to your divorce and find working solutions.

For more information, or to book an appointment with this Ontario divorce mediator, please contact:

Dawn Porter-Schofield
55 Village Centre Place, Suite 302
Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1V9
Phone:                (905) 567-6833        
Fax: (905) 567-5925
Website: www.cornerstone-mediation.com
e-mail: info@cornerstone-mediation.com