Resources & Information for Parents, Families & Guardians
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Dependency Court Mediation Information (English)
English
Informativo de Mediación (Español)
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Mediation And Confidentiality (MAC) Agreement (English)
Acuerdo de Mediación y Confidencialidad (Español)
Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
Mediation is a voluntary, assisted negotiation where you and the other parent make the decisions, within the safety and other orders of the Court. Mediation is your opportunity to reclaim your future. It happens for families, not to them. Our volunteers will help you create your own customized schedule and plan with many details to help you to put the court system in your past for good.
While mediation helps you navigate the details of your schedule, the Court (judicial officer) remains the final decision-maker regarding safety issues, such as supervised visits, overnights, and custody. Mediation cannot change existing Court orders.
Yes. Conversations held during mediation are confidential and inadmissible in court. However, while the discussion is confidential, simply bringing up a topic in mediation does not make the topic confidential.
Planning
Your attorney should inform you what your date of mediation is. Also, you will receive emails from the mediation team with information, our standard Mediation And Confidentiality (MAC) Agreement to sign, and the link you will use to join on your day of mediation.
Most sessions are held online via Zoom. No special software is needed, and we will provide you with the meeting link to join. In-person sessions are available upon request; please have your attorney contact us to arrange this.
We invest significant volunteer resources into your success. You must keep your schedule entirely clear from 8:45 AM to 3:45 PM.
Mediation opportunities are limited and provided at no cost to you. If rescheduling is truly unavoidable, please notify your attorney and email us at mediation@socalfm.org immediately. Be aware that it may take a significant amount of time to secure a new appointment.
Preparing for Your Session
- Setting: You must be in a private, quiet place (not at work).
- Materials: You don’t need to bring anything specific, though having school, sport, or activity schedules handy is very helpful for planning.
- Pre-negotiation: If you are able to speak with your coparent beforehand to pre-negotiate some details, it can help the day go faster.
We will focus on the practical details of coparenting, including:
- Weekly schedules, exchanges, and transportation,
- Holiday, vacation, and special day planning
- Communication boundaries (between parents and parents with children)
- Visit supervisors/monitors (if required)
- Other issues that can help guide and improve your life as a co-parent
What to Expect During the Process
Our mediators begin by speaking with each parent separately. We will never bring you together without your explicit permission.
This simply means you will have the benefit of more than one mediator working together to guide your conversation and help you reach a Mediated Agreement. Our mediators are experts who volunteer their time as a way of giving back.
Nine out of ten coparents agree. A positive, realistic, and future-focused attitude is the key. Mediation isn't "all-or-nothing"; it’s an opportunity to end the wars and begin the peace.
Community Mediation Located in L.A. Area
Visit Supervisor / Monitor - Resources
While we have curated these resources to assist you, please note that we do not officially endorse specific providers. These links are shared for informational purposes to help you begin your search. You should also use AI to help you find resources.
Agape Visit Supervisor (jpeg)
DownloadSafety Net Monitors (png)
DownloadFree Discounted or Sliding Scale Monitoring (Supervised Visitation) Services in Los Angeles (docx)
DownloadLA child visitation monitor_supervisor (docx)
DownloadCounty of Orange SupervisedVisitationProvidersList (pdf)
DownloadRiverside Superior Court sup_visit_provider_list (pdf)
DownloadSan Bernardino Superior Court FCSSupervisedVisitationProviders (pdf)
DownloadCustody Definition
Joint Legal Custody means both parents share the right and the responsibility to make decisions relating to the health, education, and welfare of a child.
Sole Legal Custody means that one parent shall have the right and the responsibility to make decisions relating to the health, education, and welfare of a child.
Sole Physical Custody means a child resides with and is under the supervision of one parent, subject to the power of the court to order visitation for the other parent.
Joint Physical Custody means each parent has significant periods of physical custody. It is shared in a way that assures the child of frequent and continuing contact with both parents.
Courthouse Locations
Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Courthouse (primary)
Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Courthouse (primary)
Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Courthouse (primary)
201 Centre Plaza Drive Monterey Park CA 91754
Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Court
Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Courthouse (primary)
Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Courthouse (primary)
1040 West Avenue J Lancaster CA 93534
We are Volunteers
Thanks for paying it forward!!
Zelle® available with no fees.
Please, mail your Peace Investment Donation check to:
Southern California Family Mediation
PO Box 7576 Burbank, CA 91510
Southern California Family Mediation is a 501(c)3
Administrative Support
Tiger Team Supervisor, Nellie "Naomi" Tillman
818-575-6900 (no text) | Nelliet@DependencyMediation.org
Education & Join-us
Program & Dependency Court Mediation Support
Mediator L Randy Drew
818-257-0007 | Drew@DependencyMediation.org
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