The Fairway Method™

Powered by Independently Negotiated Resolution™ (INR)

The Fairway Model takes the best practices from mediation, negotiation and the traditional divorce system and applies them to a process that works without destroying relationships and finances. We call this process INR™, and since 2006, we have peacefully resolved over 6,500 divorcing couples in Canada. Fairway is committed to bringing resolution within 120 days of financial disclosure so that you can move on with your new life in a timely fashion. You get all the legal and financial advice you need to make sound decisions that stand the test of time. Fairway is the only national divorce mediation company committed to changing how divorce happens for you and your family. 

Join other fair-minded Canadians who want to get a divorce the Fair Way. Watch this video for details.

The Clear Road to a New Life®

 

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APPROACH

Divorce The Fair Way

We are not a law firm or just a mediation firm. We mediate, we negotiate and we navigate your divorce from start to finish. 

Find the best of both worlds, the traditional system and alternative dispute resolution (divorce mediation), at our private boutique locations. Fairway's Divorce Resolution Experts are experts in mediation and negotiation with backgrounds in finance and law. You have access to independent legal advice, ensuring your rights are protected.

We remove the adversarial side of the process by working separately with each individual and focusing on the future. We take you independently through a step-by-step process that will resolve all financial and parenting issues. All for a fixed fee. Instead of spending years fighting, we focus on equipping you with information and tools to help you make decisions. As well, your divorce and its procedures will remain completely confidential.

The INR process is designed to achieve our four cornerstones:

  • Reduce Cost
  • Reduce Time
  • Reduce Stress
  • Protect the kids
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WHAT WE DO

Everything from start to finish

We help you start with the end game in mind so you can stay focused on making good decisions for your future. We help you finish signing your separation agreement and filing your divorce.

We move you and your spouse through decision-making to ensure you can make decisions independently without feeling pressured or uninformed. Our process, Independently Negotiated Resolution™ (INR), is designed to provide that you can make good decisions based on the law.

The INR process works for over 95% of couples, whether you are amicable or conflicted. This approach takes methodologies from other professions, like financial planning and applies them to create a way to move through divorce systematically. It ensures your legal rights are protected and that your choices are well thought out for both the short and long term.

INR starts by separating you from your spouse so that you can set your goals. This privacy helps you feel safe and secure when you express your thoughts.

Holding Other Professionals Accountable and on Time

Part of what we do at Fairway is to navigate and hold other professionals accountable. These include business and pension valuators, accountants, tax lawyers, real-estate advisors, and matrimonial lawyers.

ALLY Powered by INR™

Also powered by INR are our complimentary ALLY Modules. Our clients can use these self-guided modules to help them feel better equipped to make decisions that will lay the foundation for a great life after divorce. We do our best to ensure that emotions do not interfere with good decisions, and these modules, based on years of working with divorcing couples, will help achieve that.

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WHAT WE DON’T DO

Have shocking legal bills or fostering unnecessary conflict

However you slice it, family lawyers get paid better when their files drag on and their clients fight. The average Canadian family lawyer resolves less than ten files per year. Fairway's divorce resolution experts resolve over fifty per year on average. With no better outcome, time is spent with lawyers sending damaging letters back and forth and filing affidavits with the courts. You will commit over three years of your life fighting, whether you intend to or not. We will not let that happen.

Hiring divorce lawyers to negotiate your settlement is a zero-sum game. There is no win-win, only a lose-lose. Family divorce disputes do not belong in the court system except in rare cases. The laws in Canada will protect you. In family law, there is no win by putting your hard-earned money into someone else's pocket.

At Fairway, we take a hard stance against the out-of-date family law system. It would be best if you protected your family relationships and your hard-earned financial assets. We come to work every day because our life work is to offer a better way to divorce so that you and your family can be spared what thousands of well-meaning Canadians had to endure.

We will not:

  • Destroy your assets by racking up our fees (we charge a flat fee)
  • Use your children as pawns
  • Promote conflict to create a win-lose
  • Set a low retainer ending with fees of between $20,000 and over $100,000 per person
  • Take three years to resolve
  • File affidavits (these are public records)
  • Destroy relationships and the ability to co-parent
The average cost of a separation/divorce in Canada is now over $51,000
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EXPECTED OUTCOME

Protect what matters most

If you are fair-minded and well-meaning and follow our process, we guarantee a positive outcome for you and your kids. We will help you protect what matters to you. Fairway takes you and your spouse independently through a proven step-by-step process that brings resolution, regardless of complexity, in all areas of your divorce, ensuring that emotions do not play havoc with sound decision-making. Since we control the process, we can confidently say that you can expect an outcome that will lay the foundation for happy new beginnings.

We guarantee: 

  • A flat fee
  • Resolution within 120 days of full financial disclosure 
  • A co-parenting plan protecting your children's well-being so they can thrive
  • A detailed resolution plan setting out all the terms, decisions and supporting documents
  • A fully executable separation agreement drafted by a family lawyer
  • Unbiased legal education on the matrimonial laws in your province
  • A well-thought-out spousal and child support plan
  • Facilitation of your divorce filing
  • Plus, you have access to our self-guided ALLY modules to help you make better decisions for both your short and long-term happiness.
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FIXED PRICE

Reduce cost

Fairway Divorce Solutions is committed to moving you through divorce in the least expensive way possible. Depending on the divorce service you choose with Fairway and the complexity of your situation, you will pay a flat fee. While we offer a few hourly services, our INR™ is always quoted as a flat fee. This fee will range from $500 per person to file for divorce to approximately $8,000 per person for the total INR with children. Compared to lawyers, you can expect our fee to be about 10% to 20% of what you would pay if you hired a divorce lawyer.

Cost transparency is vital: Lawyers (and most mediators) bill hourly; we have a flat fee, so you know exactly what you are paying to move through our process. Also, many mediators only provide a mediator's report; thus, significant legal paperwork (and associated costs) remains outstanding at the end of that process. In addition, if using lawyers, you will most likely each hire a lawyer to represent you – effectively doubling the cost.

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FIXED TIMELINE

Reduce stress

Time

The average divorce in Canada is measured in years, not months. We strive to complete all clients within at least 120 days of receiving full financial disclosure. It is in your best interest to avoid dragging out the divorce process. Gathering financial disclosure can take anywhere from a few weeks to months, depending on the complexity of your financial situation, and sometimes, there is little you can do to speed this up. If there are business or other valuations, they take time, so it is best to keep all negotiations and decisions until after full disclosure. This keeps the time for decision-making down to a few months, and since divorce decision-making can be all-consuming, it is best to condense the time.

Stress

Divorce is one of the most stressful events in a person's life. Our step-by-step process will take you through every decision that needs to be made. You will always know where you are at in the process and not have to worry. Divorce itself is stressful, and our goal is to ensure the decision-making process is not. The faster we can get you through negotiations, the less stressful it will be, and the sooner you can get on with your life.

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A PROVEN PROCESS

Independently Negotiated Resolution plus ALLY

Define the best outcome
The Clear Road to a New Life® ALLY

You meet one-on-one with your Divorce Resolution Expert and commit to reaching a fair divorce and avoiding expensive litigation. You get a clear understanding of where you are right now, and identify your priorities in the outcome of your divorce. The process ensures you are educated on the important areas including the law, tax and financial implications of your separation. Our self-guided ALLY modules will help your transition through your divorce and lay the foundation for a great life after divorce.

A fair financial agreement
Fairway Financial Pie™

We provide you with the tools you need to gather your financial information and get clarity on the numbers. With our Independently Negotiated Resolution™ process we facilitate the division of assets and agreement on spousal and child support. You protect the wealth you have created and build a foundation for your independent future.


A comprehensive parenting plan
Fairway Nurtured Children Plan™

Your Divorce Resolution Expert helps you reach a child-focused co-parenting plan. It’s a comprehensive road map that provides the agreements and guidelines for positive parenting. It ensures a bright future for your children, and peaceful holidays and family events throughout the year.

Execute your divorce resolution
Fairway Negotiated Resolution Plan™

A comprehensive resolution plan and separation agreement captures all the details that you and your former partner have agreed to. Your lawyer will provide you with independent legal advice so that you can execute your final divorce settlement with full confidence. When it’s all done you can now focus on the future!

Fairway Divorce Solutions meets your needs

For almost twenty years we have been taking best practices from mediation, negotiation and the traditional divorce system and created processes that bring resolution to your divorce within 120 days of financial disclosure and allow you to move on with your new life.

Discover the Fairway Method

Explore how the Fairway Method revolutionizes divorce mediation, offering a cost-effective solution to the traditional divorce process. We use the Fairway Independently Negotiated Resolution™ to help you complete your separation within 120 days of negotiation, at a predetermined cost. With our systematic step-by-step process, you avoid expensive litigation and reach a fair divorce that affects your children and your financial assets as little as possible.

Karen’s books about divorce

After her own costly divorce, Karen's vision led to the creation of Fairway Divorce Solutions, the writing of these books, and a passion for advocating a change in the way divorce happens.
Divorce the Fairway book by Karen Stewart

Divorce the fair way

How to achieve a clean break. Karen draws on her own costly divorce and experiences after launching Fairway Divorce Solutions to provide a solid framework to help you navigate your divorce with dignity and move on with your life. Her proprietary process has helped thousands of families successfully resolve their divorces.

Divorcing? Book by Karen Stewart

Divorcing?

How to end your marriage without wrecking your life. In a compelling, true-to-life story based on her own experience, Karen Stewart reveals the terrible damage that results from the present divorce system. What you read here can transform your divorce into what it should be – the end of one chapter in your life, and the positive beginning of another.

Divorce For Women by Karen Stewart

Divorce for Women

A guide to creating a great life after divorce. Are you currently struggling through a divorce, keen to seek out ways to alleviate some of the pain and stress that you are experiencing as a woman of divorce? This guide to life after divorce for women will offer you a step-by-step, “how to” road map to divorce and finances, divorce and kids, and the tools to lay the foundation for a great life.

Divorce for Men by Karen Stewart

Divorce for Men

A guide to creating a great life after divorce. Divorce does not have to be the moment in life that defines you. Instead, let your actions after divorce define you. This book for men covers critical aspects such as managing relationships with your children, handling financial matters, and laying the groundwork for a fulfilling post-divorce life. Embrace this chance to build a brighter future.

Client testimonials

Success comes in many forms. For us, it is hearing back from our clients and reading how we have changed their lives for the better. These stories are the reason we do what we do.

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I hope all’s well in your world my friend and thanks again for making it such a great process. A dad told me at hockey practise on Monday night that he’s never seen such co-parenting by two people as he has with the ex and I. I give a lot of that credit to you and the firm’s process.

- Fairway Client January 2020

Frequently asked questions

At Fairway, we understand that facing a divorce is daunting, bringing mixed emotions and many questions. We are committed to ensuring that you have the knowledge and tools to move through the process in a way that protects your assets and your children.

Don’t say: “Daddy doesn’t love mom anymore or mom doesn’t love dad anymore.” Children may interpret this as: love is something you stop doing. “If they stopped loving each other, will they stop loving me?

Instead, try: “We don’t love each other in the same way married people should love each other.” Or “Sometimes moms and dads have problems and they can’t fix them so they decide they are going to live in different houses.

Don’t say:Mommy is leaving us,” or “Daddy is leaving us”. Although it may feel that way if one person does not want the separation, you never want to give your children the message that their parent is leaving them. Children are often filled with uncertainty and fear, especially during the early days. Even words like break up and split leave children feeling very anxious and afraid.

Instead try:We are going to live in different houses. And we are going to make sure you get to spend time in both homes.

Don’t say: “Who would you like to live with?” While it is important to check in and see how the kids are adjusting to their new scheduling, asking them whom they want to live with is a lose-lose question for a child. Children write about how that question puts them in the middle and they feel torn because they know someone will get hurt. Parents should make these decisions.

 Instead try: “We wanted to check in to see how the schedule is working from your perspective? What is challenging for you? What can we do to help?”

Other Tips: Counselling can be very helpful for children, particularly in the early transition. Consider seeking additional support for them and even for yourselves. Some parents even continue counselling during the transition so they can help their children through this. This can be one of the greatest benefits during the early days of separation.

When parents are faced with difficult parenting decisions or are unable to agree on co-parenting decisions, a well trained and experienced Fairway mediator can assist you in dealing with a variety of issues:

  • Parenting and holiday schedule
  • Selecting medical personnel or professional
  • Education
  • Choice of extracurricular activities
  • Section 7 (extraordinary) expenses
  • Religion
  • Birthday parties
  • General communication strategies

Fairway offers Parenting Plan Services. Setting you up to be the best you can be as a single parent moving forward is our goal.  Using a third party and avoiding legal battles to work on a parenting plan is common sense.

A separation agreement is a legally binding document, signed between both parties, which contains all the arrangements that were made in regards to the divorce. This contract sets out each parties’ decisions and rights with regards to spousal support, child support, custody, access (residential care), property, assets, and debts. This document is often more than 20 pages considering all the decisions and the legal wording that is required.

Without a proper separation agreement, things may quickly become messy with regards to child custody and co-parenting, living arrangements, support payments, visitation, and holidays.

How to Get a Separation Agreement 

There are many ways to get a separation agreement, or at least a draft completed.

  • Hire a lawyer
  • Mediation
  • Arbitration
  • Collaborative law
  • Do-it-Yourself
  • Self-Representation
  • Fairway Divorce Solutions  (Using Independently Negotiated Resolution)

Emotions matter, but they shouldn’t play havoc with your smart decision making. We use a proprietary step-by-step process that centers on making decisions about finances and co-parenting vs. creating a circus of using affidavits and legal applications that often focus on non-factual differences of opinion.

The issues in divorce have not changed, but the laws have.

It used to be that if you were faced with a divorce, you had better run out and hire the best lawyer you could find. That was because the results in the courts were very much dependent on the Judge you had that day and the talent of your lawyer. Two things have changed that.

The first was the introduction of the updated Provincial Property Acts in the ’80s and ’90s and the Child Support and Spousal Support guidelines in the ’90s. The bottom line is that the goal posts you are negotiating between are quite narrow, Therefore, your outcome is more predictable regardless of whether you fight it out with lawyers or use an alternative dispute solution.

While it is possible to take a position and fight about specific issues, the cost associated with taking a hard stance is often more than what you gained. The best scenario for you is that you achieve a fair outcome whereby you received what was “just” within the eyes of the law and “fair” considering your personal situation. There are only two things in divorce: money and kids, and you want to ensure both are protected and that you keep as much of your net worth in your pocket as you can.

Alternative Dispute Resolution has become the standard.

A less expensive and increasingly popular way, often resulting in better outcomes is known as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). This methodology includes both mediation and arbitration. Mediation is a process in which a divorcing couple negotiate their issues with regards to money and parenting, with a neutral third party. The mediator helps the spouses negotiate and communicate but does not make decisions for them. Contrast this with an Arbitrator who makes the final decision much like a Judge but without that title or courts endorsement. The mediator will facilitate decisions based on the mediator’s expertise, and may add some direction in the area they are knowledgeable.

Mediation itself is not binding so that a party can disengage if necessary. The intention is that the parties come to a resolution on the issues through divorce mediation. Then, these decisions are drafted into the separation agreement which is signed in front of a lawyer and is legally binding.

Fairway Divorce Solutions services fall under the Alternative Dispute Resolution definition and use a proprietary model known as Independently Negotiated Resolution™ INR to bring resolution and agreement on all issues.

There is still the belief that if the assets are complicated, you should hire a lawyer. If you have complex assets, you will likely need a financially savvy team, including at some point, getting Independent Legal Advice. Getting legal advice is prudent but using lawyers to negotiate the terms and outcomes is better suited to those who understand financials and the implications of different ways of splitting assets, i.e., tax. The team should include those who are experts in financial matters, accountants, business valuators and lawyers who can provide information with regards to the law and how it may apply to your case or cases like yours. Information and knowledge are key to good decision making, but fighting is not necessary.

 At Fairway Divorce Solutions, our start to finish divorce offices deliver the experts you need.

Separation agreement and what it should include:

  • The agreed upon division of property and debt
  • Your co-parenting plans
  • Child Support Arrangements
  • Spousal Support/Adult Interdependent Partner Support arrangements
  • How you will resolve conflicts if they arise in the future
  • Any other details of your separation that you feel are important

The answer is no. While most couples need some help in achieving resolution on their issues, you may have reached a consensus on the issues without the support of any third party. If you have no children and simple property you can likely go straight to divorce filing and include your decisions as part of the application.

Our team at Fairway can draft a separation agreement and file for divorce.

If you have achieved consensus but would feel more confident if a third party helped you ensure you did not overlook anything with regards to child support, custody, spousal support, property division, then Fairway offers a Fast Track service to assist you. You can rest assured that your agreement will stand the test of time and that you did not miss something important to protect your wellbeing in the future.

A separation agreement is a legally binding contract between spouses (married or common-law) or ex-spouses setting out the terms of their relationship after separation (or the decision to separate). This agreement often deals with how property (and debts) will be divided between the spouses, spousal support, child support, child access, and other issues.