Divorce Directory
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Divorce Directory is an independent online directory of divorce mediators, divorce lawyers and divorce therapists in South Africa.

We provide mediation services to couples, spouses, families, co-parents and divorcing couples to assist them to resolve their issues of contention, develop workable solutions and reach an agreement which serves the highest good of all parties involved. Mediation is a private and confidential process whereby the parties to a dispute voluntarily meet with a trained neutral person, known as a mediator. The role of the mediator is to facilitate and manage the process by encouraging discussion, providing the parties with information regarding their legal rights and responsibilities, generate options and thus providing the parties with a greater understanding to enable them to make informed decisions and to reach resolutions which are both fair and reasonable. Mediation is a great alternative to litigation where instead of a court making the decision which normally results in one party winning and one party losing, mediation empowers the parties to generate options which suit them and allows the parties to tailor make their own amicable resolutions. The goal is to define the areas of both agreement and disagreement and then to assist the parties to amicably resolve as many areas of disagreement as possible. Mediation is a voluntary process and the mediator is not a judge. We offer both co-mediation and single mediation, depending on the needs of the parties. Co-mediation means that there are two mediators who work as a team throughout the mediation process. One of the mediators will be legally trained and the other will be from the mental health profession (for example a social worker, counselor or a psychologist). Although every mediation is unique, all mediations follow a structured process. The mediation sessions are held at our offices and the couple/parties will generally attend the sessions together except in high conflict situations and where the mediator is of the opinion that the parties are better served attending separate sessions. The number of sessions required varies from couple to couple and depends on the number of issues to be resolved, the level of their complexity and the parties' commitment. What are the benefits of mediation as an alternative to court litigation? The mediator is bound by professional ethics to provide an impartial and professional service. Mediators treat all discussions as strictly confidential except where they believe someone's life or welfare to be in danger. If this becomes apparent, the mediator will address this with the parties and discuss any action which is to be taken with the parties. We have a qualified and professional team of mediators. Our mediators either have legal training or are from the mental health profession (i.e. social workers, counselors or psychologists) all of whom have completed a mediation training course with a focus on divorce and family mediation. Our mediators either mediate individually or in co-mediation teams, depending on the needs of our clients. When mediating in co-mediation teams, one mediator will have legal training and the other will be from the mental health profession. It is this interest and my passion for mediation which lead me to start The Centre of Independence. Mediation is not only less costly and speedier than litigation, it is also a less emotionally traumatic process for all the parties involved especially the children.