By Lindsay Poetz and Timothy Cole, Management Analysts, Friend of the Court Bureau
Michigan Court Rule 3.224, become effective January 1, 2020, and required all courts to have a Friend of the Court (FOC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) plan approved by the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) and the Chief Judge. The plans must include FOC domestic relations mediation. Courts had the option to include other FOC ADR services in their plans such as facilitative and Information Gathering Conferences (FIGCs) and joint meetings. MCR 3.224 also required SCAO to establish ADR training qualifications for FOC employees.
The Michigan Judicial Institute (MJI) and Friend of the Court
Bureau (FOCB) conducted an FOC ADR training webinar for FOC employees in
August. Completion of the virtual 20-hour training met SCAO’s training qualifications
for FOC staff to conduct FIGCs and FOC domestic relations mediation. There were
20 participants in the training.
The Michigan Judicial Institute (MJI) and Friend of the Court
Bureau (FOCB) conducted an FOC ADR training webinar for FOC employees in
August. Completion of the virtual 20-hour training met SCAO’s training qualifications
for FOC staff to conduct FIGCs and FOC domestic relations mediation. There were
20 participants in the training.
Sessions included
general information on domestic relations statutes, court rules, and case law;
custody, parenting time, and child support principles and concepts; creating
the ideal parenting time order; the Michigan Child Support Formula; diversity
and cultural awareness; testifying in court; report writing; ethics; and ADR
skills building.
The presenters included:
Management Analysts Timothy Cole, Paul Gehm, and Lindsay Poetz, SCAO/FOCB;
Referee Pete Armstrong, Ottawa County FOC; Clerical Services Director/Attorney
Valentina Berishaj, Macomb County FOC; Executive Court Administrator Zenell
Brown, 3rd Circuit Court of Wayne County; Referee Sahera Housey, Oakland County
FOC; Assistant Friend of the Court Traci Schenkel, Kent County FOC; and
Executive Director Annette Wells, Community Mediation Services in Gaylord. The
training was organized by Tim Cole and Lisa Harris, Management Assistant, in
collaboration with Anne DeMarco and Peter Stathakis of MJI.
