Divorce and Family Law Mediations, Riverside County, California
The Riverside County Superior Court's Family Law Mediation Panel website profiles were published today. We are pleased to report that DFMS Mediator Thurman W. Arnold, in his role as Chair of the Desert Bar Association's Family Law Section, has been instrumental in helping to establish this first-ever mediation panel for family law matters in Riverside County.
Mr. Arnold's mediator information for the Panel can be accessed by clicking here.
There are approximately 26 family law mediators who have been approved, within the entire county, as possessing the minimum qualifications necessary to join the Panel. Congratulations to each and every one! Please click the above link to review the backgrounds and qualifications of these individuals, as well as their rates, as an aid in selecting a family law mediator who may be of useful service to you and your family. You will find wide differences between them in terms of their mediation training, experience, and styles that may be of value to you in choosing the most appropriate mediator for your family and your needs. Regardless of the different backgrounds of these individuals, they all share an uncommon interest and devotion to peacemaking as a more positive alternative to traditional styles for resolving matrimonial, domestic partner, and child-related disputes - which we urge is very much cheaper, more efficient, and pro-active than what people typically experience in Family Court litigation. These mediators are all the "cream of the crop"; frankly, other professionals who hold themselves out as mediators within our communities who've not bothered to take extensive mediation training and who don't care to seek to join the Panel mean well but may lack the mediation expertise and skillfulness that you deserve. Experience does matter.
It is important to note that these Mediation Panelists, in their role as private mediators, are not in any way connected with the Riverside County Court. Indeed, the Court's website contains this important disclaimer: "This information has been provided by the mediator and has not been independently verified by the Court. The Court provides this list of mediators as a public service. The Court does not endorse, recommend or make any warranty as to the qualifications or competency of any provider on the list. Inclusion on the list is based on the representations of the mediator. The Court assumes no responsibility of liability for any act or omission of any mediator on the list."
Desert Family Mediation Services is the premiere family law mediation firm in the Coachella Valley. We provide free mediation orientation sessions for those who wish to discover whether mediation is appropriate to their circumstances. There is no obligation and we are honored to help you evaluate whether this option makes sense and is workable for you!
Please give DFMS™ a call - we are easy to talk to!
MEDIA ADVISORY FROM BARRIE J. ROBERTS, DIRECTOR OF ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAMS, RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
May 3, 2012
NEW MEDIATION PANEL HELPS FAMILIES RESOLVE DIVORCE, CUSTODY, SPOUSAL AND CHILD SUPPORT DISPUTES WITHOUT COURT TRIAL
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: The Riverside County Superior Court is pleased to announce a new resource for families and couples facing family law disputes.
The new Family Law Private Mediation Panel lists over 20 attorney-mediators countywide who are ready to help parties work out solutions to their divorce, custody, visitation, spousal and child support disputes without adversarial court hearings or trial.
The panel includes mediators who serve every area of Riverside County, including Blythe, Indio, Palm Springs, downtown Riverside, Hemet, Banning, Temecula, Moreno Valley, Corona and more.
The new panel was posted on the court's website today: http://adr.riverside.courts.ca.gov/adr/fl/ Also posted was a new web page filled with information about private mediation for family law cases:
http://riverside.courts.ca.gov/adr/famlaw_privatemediation.shtml
According to Presiding Judge Sherrill Ellsworth, "Our family law judges strongly encourage parties to use alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, to resolve their disputes."
"Costly and stressful adversarial court hearings are rarely in the best interests of the children or the parents," said Indio Family Law Judge Dale Wells. "Mediation gives parties the opportunity to express their concerns in a safe and private environment. With the mediator's help, the parties can reach voluntary agreements that are custom-made for their particular situation."
And, Judge Jackson Lucky, Family Law judge in downtown Riverside points out, "Family law decisions are so important because they deal with children and family finances. The parties understand their needs better than anyone else. Mediation puts control where it should be: with the parties. It allows them to make the best choices for themselves, instead of hoping that a judge, who is a stranger, will make the right decisions for them."
All mediators on the court's Family Law Private Mediation Panel are attorneys with at least 5 years of family law experience in Riverside County. Many have had extensive training in family law mediation. Several are certified as Family Law Specialists by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.
To schedule a mediation session with a member of the new panel, parties simply contact the mediator of their choice. Each panel mediator has posted an on-line Profile describing his or her background, contact and fee information, including whether reduced rates are offered.