Family Court Mediation

What Is Family Court Mediation

Family Court Mediation is a South Carolina Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) used for resolving Family Court contested issues. If offers a professionally impartial and compassionate approach to resolving disputes within families. It also gives you the opportunity to have your concerns heard and attended to, giving you greater control over how those issues will be legally settled with the other party.

It gives the parties an opportunity to reach a mutual settlement in an informal and confidential environment. For Mediation the Mediator serves as a third party (neutral) who acts to encourage and facilitate negotiations, helps ensure the balance of power, and negotiations between the parties.

Anything communicated during Mediation is generally confidential, with some legal exceptions that will be disclosed to the parties. This means what happens during Mediation cannot be used by any participant during courtroom litigation nor does Mediation prevent the parties from being able to have their case heard in court.

Mediation conferences typically include the parties and their attorneys being present. Attorneys play an important role during Mediation, because they serve in the role as an advisor, and helping their client understand what options they have legally. However, the ultimate decisions lies with the parties themselves to reach their ideal agreement.

What to Expect from Mediation

Attending Mediation may be mandatory, but reaching a mutual settlement is not. However, if a mutual settlement is reached between the parties that is the optimal outcome. It gives the parties the ability to avoid having their case solely heard in family court, which has a higher chance of leaving the parties being adversarial towards one another and no closer to the resolutions either of them desired.

To reach an agreement, Mediation may need at least a minimum of four (4) hours, but could last up to (8) hours including scheduling anywhere between 2 – 6 sessions to reach a completed mutual settlement depending on the complexity and the number of issues that need to be resolved. That means you don’t have to be concerned about trying to mediate everything all at once in the same day.

The parties will continue the mediation process until the parties have reached a mutual agreement or the Mediator determines the conference needs to be terminated. Reasons the Mediator would terminate include recognizing that the effort between the parties to continue negotiating is no longer viable.

If a full or partial mediated agreement is reached, both parties (and other professionals in attendance) will be debriefed and asked to sign the final document listing the details of the issues agreed upon. For Pro Se (self-represented) clients, both parties will be given the option of consulting a legal professional prior to signing.

In the end, the time saved, reduced cost, and mutual efforts the parties spend in negotiation during Mediation would hopefully prove to be the best way forward for You, your Family, and for the Future.

What Family Court Issues Do I Mediate

Trying to resolve your contested issues in the courtroom isn't for you if you want your individual concerns addressed or your voice to really be heard concerning what happens to you or your family, but that’s exactly what a Family Mediation Conference gives to you.

Challenge Life Services, LLC is here to help parties navigate complex family court matters for both Pro Se (self-represented) clients, and those represented by attorneys in need of Interim or Temporary Agreements and/or Final Agreements for issues that include but not limited to……

Divorce / Separation Issues
Alimony / Interim Support
Division of Marital Property
Parenting Time / Visitation
Custody
Child Support
Finances
Debt

The Role of The Mediator During Mediation

As Mediator my role is to facilitate open communication and guide parties towards mutually beneficial solutions in a confidential setting and supportive environment. While remaining impartial to the individual parties, one of my primary goals as a Mediator is to facilitate the conference between the parties.

My role is not to make the decision on terms of settlement, is not that of a judge, or a jury, and you will retain the right to trial if a mutual agreement isn’t accomplished. As the Mediator I want to ensure that each party get the most out of their mediation time and expenses, while encouraging their ability to reach a mutual agreement.

Overall, the goal is to promote understanding, cooperation, and long-term harmony for all parties involved thereby helping to ensure the likelihood of acceptance and adherence to any agreements reached during the mediation.

Schedule Appointment

Why appoint Panora Z. Wallace a Non-Lawyer Mediator

There are many reasons why it’s beneficial for you to appoint me as your layman (non-lawyer) Family Court Mediator. One being I have completed and obtained my Certificate of Completion for the 40 hour Family Court Mediation training course hosted by the South Carolina Bar Association (which is not mandatory, yet highly recommended).

I have a professional career a Licensed Professional Counselor, where I’ve been in the counseling field for almost 20 years. This means I bring a different perspective and set of values when it comes to working with families, which is aimed at creating a judgment free zone, and getting people to work together to resolve issues in a healthier mutually beneficial way using a compassionate, self-guided approach.

I have a keen knowledge of people, which enables me to assess and gain insight about people in a short period. I understand the importance of communication. The ability to effectively communicate and facilitate communication with people who are in opposition is a skill I use regularly. Also, I understand the different emotions and actions that come in to play when a family is dealing with stress, which may or may not accurately reflect who they really are otherwise.

Working to navigate the expressions of complicated emotions, increasing the engagement of clients in their process to be able to make their own decisions, working collaboratively, and helping families heal are huge cornerstones of the way I practice as a clinician. So quite naturally I’ll bring that same approach to Family Mediation.

Many lawyers are in fact Mediators themselves, and there is an obvious definite value in having a lawyer or legal professional as your mediator. However, the law nor family court requires that the service of Family Mediation be performed by a legal representative (except where a Mediator is appointed to your case by a Family Court Judge). This means it gives you the immediate benefit of being able to choose a professional that best fits your needs to assist you through an exceptional time in your life, and you have the right to have a lawyer present during your Mediation to advise and support you.

In addition, by hiring me as your Mediator you may significantly increase the overall cost benefit to you for the service. The great new is, since in most cases you can choose which professional you want, that means you choose the professional who charges a fee that is acceptable to you. In other words, the cost benefit for me as your Mediator can be one less issue you have, which may mean a world of difference to your finances and ultimately your mental health.

The decision on whom you’ll ultimately have appointed as a Mediator isn’t to be taken lightly, and because of my passion and professionalism you can rest assured that I won’t take the wellbeing and the Mediation of your family matters with the professionalism and attention it deserves.