Resources for Parents, Families & Guardians

What if I need to reschedule?

• There is not enough mediation to go around.  You have this opportunity to have a mediated conversation guided by two expert co-mediators, at no cost to you.  If you have to reschedule, it may take some time before your attorney can get you another appointment.  Please, notify us mediation@socalfm.org and your attorney if rescheduling is truly unavoidable. 

• Mediation is: voluntary assisted-negotiation where you, the people, decide.

• Most mediations are online, on Zoom.  We will send you the meeting link.

• In-person mediations are available.  Have your attorney contact us.

• You must be in a private place - not at work.

• When mediation and the courts work together, it's better for everyone. 

• Mediation happens FOR parents and families, not TO parents and families.

• Communications that are part of a mediation discussion are confidential and inadmissible.  However, bringing a topic up in mediation only means the conversation is confidential but does not in itself make the topic confidential.

• Co-Mediation is: When there are two mediators.

• We invest heavy resources into helping you find your agreements, beginning at 8:45AM and ending possibly as late as 3:45PM.

• Nine out of ten coparents agree; it's best to try to have a positive attitude.

• You don't need to bring anything with you, but if you have regularly scheduled appointments, sports, or activities, it's helpful to have those schedules handy.

• Our highly trained professional mediators volunteer as a way of giving.

• Our hope is that with a detailed, customized, written coparenting visitation agreement, you will have a plan to help you, your kids, and your families put the dependency court in the past, permanently.  

• It's time to end the war and begin the peace, even when that is very difficult to do.

• Note: If you can speak with your coparent and pre-negotiate some things, it will help your day of mediation go faster.

Some of what we will be discussing during mediation

• Schedule,
• Transportation & Exchanges
• Visit supervisors/monitors (if needed),
• Communications (between parents & with kids),
• Vacations,
• Travel, 
• Holidays and Special Days, and
• Other topics that are important to help you coparent more successfully.

Who decides safety issues like supervised (monitored) visits and custody?

• The Court (judicial officer) is the decision maker when it comes to safety issues like supervised (monitored) visits, overnights, and custody.

Custody Definitions

• Family Code Section 3003:  Joint Legal Custody means that both parents shall share the right and responsibility to make decisions related to the health, education, and welfare of the child. 
• Family Code Section 3006:  Sole Legal Custody means that one parent has the right and responsibility to make decisions related to the health, education, and welfare of the child. 
• Family Code Section 3004: Joint Physical Custody means that each parent has significant periods of time with the child.  Joint Physical Custody shall be shared in such a way as to assure a child of frequent and continuing contact with both parents. 
• Family Code section 3007: Sole Physical Custody means a child shall reside with and be under the supervision of one parent, subject to the court ordering visitation for the other parent. 

LOCATIONS

Address: 201 Centre Plaza Drive Monterey Park CA 91754

Website: http://www.lacourt.org/courthouse/info/jvdep/ccj

Address: 1040 West Avenue J Lancaster CA 93534

Website: http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/Locations/ui/location.aspx?loc=LAN&tab=2&d=Directory

Address: 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA 91766

News Release: https://www.lacourt.org/newsmedia/uploads/14202112299375821NRDEPENDENCYPOMONA281.pdf 

Address: 200 W. Compton Blvd. Compton CA 90220

Website: http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/juvenile

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Phones: Service/Intake and Administration (310) 603-7128, Service/Intake (310) 603-7816, Service/Intake (310) 603-7816