Family Mediation- The Consultation
Most families who inquire about mediation know little about the process because they have never been in mediation before. Instead, families are frequently referred from the court, lawyers, family service agencies or by others who have used mediation in the past. Therefore, taking time to evaluate and assess family needs is important prior to accepting them as clients.
A brief and informal meeting, prior to mediation, benefits both the families and the mediator in the following ways:
1. It is an opportunity for the families to ask some common questions, such as:
- How much will this cost?
- How long will each session last and how many sessions will we need?
- What do I do?
- What do you do?
- What will it be like?
- Do I want to do this and am I able to do this?
2. It is an opportunity for the mediator to meet his/her ethical obligations by:
- Screening for domestic violence
- Assessing client’s communication dynamics
- Familiarizing clients with process and Agreement to Mediate form
- Gathering data about the family
- Determining if this is the right time for this family to be in mediation
- Refering clients to other professionals if needed
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