How many hours of family mediation are free in Quebec?
Short answer
In Quebec, the family mediation program of the ministère de la Justice (Quebec's justice department) covers 5 hours of mediation for separating couples who have a common dependent child, and 2 hours and 30 minutes for the review of an existing agreement or judgment, on top of the 2-hour-and-30-minute information session on parenting.
In detail
Those hours are paid for by the ministère de la Justice (Quebec's justice department). The rate for an accredited mediator taking part in the program is set by regulation at $130 an hour, an amount the mediator has to comply with exactly.
The program is aimed at couples with a minor child or a dependent child aged 18 or over. The type of union makes no difference: married spouses, spouses in a civil union, de facto spouses and spouses in a parental union all have access to the same number of hours. The official FAQ on the parental union confirms it — “the type of union does not change the number of free mediation hours” — what counts is having a common dependent child.
The free hours cover the sessions you attend as well as the work the mediator does outside the sessions. Beyond that, the fees are payable by the parties.
What to document
The number of hours already used and on what dates, the mediator's name, and a summary of the agreements reached at each session. Come with your figures ready (income, custody calendar, the child's expenses): subsidized hours go quickly if they are spent looking for documents.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
- Gouvernement du Québec — Duration and cost of family mediation
- Ministère de la Justice du Québec — Family mediation program
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.