Purpose of Mediation Appointment

When parents separate, a great many changes occur in a family. For children, their world is turned upside down and they look to their parents for answers to questions such as “Where will we live?”; “Will I still see both of my parents?”; “Who will take care of me?” Parents too feel confused and overwhelmed by the decisions they face about how they will care for their children and how they will manage financially. Often parents are faced with these decisions when mutual trust is low and communication is poor.

Mediation through Family Court Services offers a neutral place for parents to plan for their children’s care and to discuss how responsibilities for the children will be shared. Parents must attempt to resolve the issues of Legal and Physical Custody by participating in mediation before the Court makes orders. A mediation session lasts approximately one and one-half to two hours.

With the assistance of a child custody mediator, parents can develop their own written parenting plan which describes how decisions will be made (Legal Custody) and when the children will be with each parent (Physical Custody). The Physical Custody plan or time-sharing schedule includes a regular schedule as well as a holiday and vacation schedule. The agreement can also include transportation arrangements, and any other agreements about the care of and responsibility for the children. When the parents reach an agreement, it is signed by the judge and becomes a court order which is legal and binding on both parents.

Parents must attend the Parents and Children Together, P.A.C.T., program before their mediation appointment. The class, an orientation to mediation, provides some useful worksheets to help parents draft their agreement. To obtain a P.A.C.T. Schedule, please click on P.A.C.T. Schedule in the Navigation Bar to the left of this screen.

To schedule a mediation appointment, parents must have a Family Law case number. In addition, parents must have a pending court hearing or be in the process of filing for a hearing and have a child custody or visitation dispute. In all other situations, parents must request appointments by calling the Mediation Office at 213-974-5524, option 3.

Appointments scheduled on-line will be confirmed by e-mail. If you have not received a response from Family Court Services within two days, please call our office.

To schedule an appointment, please click here.