Friend of the Court Launches No-Cost, Walk-In Mediation

By Dan Fojtik, Director, Kent County Friend of the Court

Most domestic relations cases involving children remain open for years until the youngest child reaches adulthood. During that time, disagreements between the parents about what is best for their children are all too common. The Kent County Friend of the Court (FOC) has offered mediation services for many years. Unfortunately, collecting the necessary forms from both parents and scheduling them to meet with a mediator can take three to six weeks. While waiting, parents can become even more entrenched in conflict, leaving their children in the middle.

Kent County Friend of the Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution staff.

To expedite resolution, the Kent FOC’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) unit, led by Traci Schenkel, recently launched “walk-in mediation” on a first-come, first-served basis. Parents can meet with a mediator without an appointment each Tuesday morning from 8:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. and Thursday afternoon from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Offering this new service makes our local judicial system more efficient, effective, and innovative. Staff in the ADR unit believe that offering this service is helpful to self-represented parents, especially those who encounter financial and other barriers limiting their access to court services. It also promotes productive co-parenting and communication for the benefit of children.

Our walk-in mediation may cover topics including: custody; parenting time schedules; the school the child attends; medical treatment; transportation; parenting time exchanges; and a host of other child-related issues that may arise.

Walk-in mediation is not offered for prejudgment disputes, child support modification only, and issues outside the scope of FOC duties such as property/debt division, termination of parental rights, and guardianship.

During the introductory phase from August through December 2018, the ADR Unit held 51 walk-in mediations; of those, 78 percent resulted in a consent order. This is a great start. We anticipate that this service will become even more popular as word gets around. The value of parents resolving their disputes through mediation – as opposed to filling up the Friday morning motion docket – cannot be understated. I would like to thank my staff members of the ADR unit for their innovation and their dedication to the children of Kent County.

Dan Fojtik is Director of the Kent County Friend of the Court. He previously served as Staff Attorney for 16 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Grand Valley State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Kent FOC's walk-in mediation flyer.