You must complete a Petition for Mediation. Petitions are available at the Law Library Resource Centers at all locations or they can be downloaded from the Law Library Resource Center web site.

Typically, the judge will refer parents to mediation if they are in dispute regarding Legal Decision Making and parenting-time plans and there is an indication that parents may cooperate to resolve issues involving the care of their children.

Conciliation Services staff will determine if a joint meeting is appropriate. If there is an Order of Protection in place, staff will meet with the parties individually at first to determine whether or not to proceed with mediation.

The mediator may attempt to reschedule if there is good cause for the missed appointment. Otherwise, after 30 minutes, the appointment is cancelled. The mediator will report the missed appointment to the Judge. A $200.00 no show fee may be levied against the party who filed to appear or was more than 30 minutes late.

You need to contact Conciliation Services immediately. Under certain circumstances, mediation appointments may be rescheduled with the agreement of the other party. If both parties are not in agreement to reschedule the mediation, the mediation appointment will continue as scheduled.

Conciliation Services must have a current address for the other party in order to provide proper notification of appointments. If there is a child support order, it may be possible to request this information through the Court.

Since mediation is confidential and geared towards problem solving, there is no need to provide evidence or documentation.

Typically, only the parties and the mediator are included in the mediation session; however, an interpreter or victim support person may be present. Both interpreter and victim support services need to be arranged prior to the scheduled hearing. Please contact Family Department Administration at 602-506-1561 to request arrangements.

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