Ohio

Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court Now Offers Mediation in Pending Cases Involving Children

By Cleveland Law Library

The Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court has partnered with the Cuyahoga County Department of Justice Affairs, Office of Mediation to offer mediation in pending cases involving children. This new process was instituted under Local Rule 32, which provides that mediation can be ordered on the court's own motion or at the request of either or both of the parties. The Court's news release describes the services mediation is intended to provide and the outcome it is intended to achieve as follows:

"Mediation is a process in which parents develop their own parenting plan with the help of the mediator. It is a method of problem solving without the financial and emotional costs often associated with litigation. The mediator is a neutral third party who encourages parents to discuss the issues concerning their children and help them reach an agreement. The parents control the outcome and they can communicate with each other directly, in a safe environment. This reduces hostility and helps foster a rational discussion. The outcome of the mediation is limited only by the nature of the problem and the ability of the parents to work together for their child?s best interest."   

Full post as published by Cleveland Law Library Weblog on November 05, 2010 (boomark / email).