NCJ Number
98058
Date Published
1984
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This case study describes the history of the Los Angeles Conciliation Court, discusses the mediation process and sessions, examines the staff of the court, and highlights the reactions of users and of the judicial and legal communities.
Abstract
The Court was established in 1939, but its future was not secure until the passage in 1980 of Senate Bill 961. This bill mandated that custody/visitation disputes be mediated and increased the marriage license, divorce filing, and modification fees to support California's conciliation courts. In 1981, the Family Law Department, in which the Los Angeles Conciliation Court is housed, processed over 45,000 divorce filings and almost 15,000 modifications. Few cases involving contested child custody and visitation escape a mediation attempt. Typically, cases unresolved in mediation are referred to either the court's child custody investigators or to psychiatrists. The Court's staff consists of a director, 2 principal family counselors, 17 family counselors or mediators, and 9 clerks and secretaries. Although counselors work under a great deal of stress, most are highly satisifed with their jobs. Results of questionnaires administered to, and interviews conducted with, 370 clients at the Central Office of the Conciliation Court from August to December 1981 indicate that nearly 70 percent were glad that they had tried mediation. Judicial support is evidenced by California judges' attendance at conferences on mediation and by their testimony in favor of making the process mandatory. Most attorneys involved with the process have positive feelings about it. The appendix contains two sample mediation cases.