Mediation Services
On January 1, 2007, the Illinois Supreme Court rules pertaining to family mediation went into effect. The Supreme Court adopted a series of rules to help ensure that child custody proceedings are handled expeditiously, competently, and with great emphasis on the "best interests of the child". Rule 905 requires that each judicial circuit in Illinois establish mediation programs in custody and visitation. Most circuits now require that the parties participate in four hours of mediation before the court will make any decision regarding custody or visitation. Mediation is a private process used by family members who need assistance to resolve a dispute or decide important family issues.
Mediators, who are trained in family dynamics, communication skills, and facilitative techniques, do not have an opinion or a stake as to how a problem or situation is solved. The mediator does not make decisions, and any agreement reached is voluntary and decided by the participants. With a mediator's guidance, participants work together through a series of orderly steps seeking agreement and resolution that meet the needs and goals of everyone involved. Mediation promotes decision-making by the participants, not third parties; it seeks to minimize the time, costs, and emotional impacts too often seen with the traditional court process; it promotes a resolution that meets each unique family's goals; it is based on the participants' schedules, not a schedule imposed by a court; it is a confidential and informal process; it facilitates communication between the participants; it puts children first, and it strives for financial and parenting decisions that meet the needs of everyone involved.