Custody / Visitation Mediation Program

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Mediation | FYI: FAQ, Documents/Links, Mediators | Testimonials | Contact Us

Welcome to the NYC Family Court Custody/Visitation Mediation Program

YOUR FAMILY, YOUR SOLUTIONS

 

Mediation

If you would like to resolve your case without Family Court intervention and are interested in trying mediation, please click here for your local Community Dispute Resolution (CDRC).

Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process used to resolve conflicts. With the help of a neutral third party (the mediator), the parties discuss their concerns and see if they can reach an agreement that is acceptable to them and that is in the best interest of the child(ren).

Mediation gives you the opportunity to discuss all the issues affecting your child(ren), not just the legal ones. It can help you figure out what is important for you and for your child(ren) and it allows you to create a parenting plan that makes sense in your life and in your family. The mediator will help you focus on the many issues that come up in parenting such as:

• Schedules
• Holidays
• How you will communicate
• Decision-making
• Extended family relationships
• New partners

If you reach an agreement, the mediator will write it up for each of you to review. If all parties approve, the agreement will be sent back to court where the jurist may make it into a court order. If you do not reach an agreement, the matter will return to court without it negatively impacting your case.

Mediation often improves communication, saves time and money, reduces stress, improves parent-child relationships, and leads to longer-lasting agreements.

 

For Your Information

 

Testimonials

 

"I just wanted to thank you for your invaluable assistance in producing a custody and visitation agreement. The judge and the attorney for the child were both impressed by the document and the effort they imagined it took to put together. They congratulated ‘the father’ and myself on our ability to put our children first and work together to create this “unique" agreement. Their words not mine. You should certainly be included in all the accolades, I'm certain it could not have been accomplished without you. Your calm demeanor, patience, and uncanny ability to bring clarity to convoluted and emotional situations kept us focused on our ultimate goal rather than ourselves. I cannot thank you enough nor truly express my appreciation of your role in the process."
Litigant
"This was huge for these parties – this mediator must have been amazing – off the record counsel told me that the parents were legit singing the praises of the mediator saying, “we spoke together as parents for the first time in a long time.”
Jurist
“Thank you! This agreement looked so different than what I thought was needed to resolve this case. AND YET – it fully resolved a case that had been going in circles (nowhere!) for years. Thank you, mediation!”
Jurist

 

Languages

These are languages available in Mediation:

Spanish Bengali Yiddish Tagalog Chinese Haitaian Creole French Russian Arabic Urdu

 

Contact Us

For any assistance or questions related to NYC Family Court Custody/Visitation Mediation Program, please contact us PUBLICNYCMEDIATION@nycourts.gov