Atlanta Divorce Mediators, Inc., has been providing divorce mediation services and training  in Georgia since 1980.  Each of our mediators is an experienced professional who has met all of the qualifications required by the State of Georgia, the Cobb County Superior Court and other court systems within the state.  Additionally, all of our mediators are also active Practitioner Members of the Association for Conflict Resolution (formerly the Academy of Family Mediators), a national organization.

Divorce mediation is a court approved alternative to divorce litigation. It is a private and confidential process through which a separating or divorcing couple can arrive at their own decisions concerning what is fair and reasonable for their particular family situation.  Both parties are strongly encouraged to have their individual attorneys review any agreements.

The number of mediation sessions needed to reach an agreement depends upon the complexity of the issues involved.  Sessions are generally two hours in length and are scheduled over a period of several weeks, at the parties' convenience.  A "rough draft" of a Memorandum of Understanding is drawn up after each session. This is a "work in progress" and gives the couple a copy to review and share with their attorneys.  A completed agreement between the parties is typically reached within three to six sessions.

When the parties have reached final agreement on specific issues such as the division of marital property, spousal support, child support, parenting issues and responsibilities, etc., the mediator drafts a copy of the final Memorandum of Understanding, specifying the agreements. This unsigned document is reviewed by each of the parties and their attorneys.  It is then drafted into a Separation Agreement or divorce Settlement Agreement by one of the attorneys and presented to the court for approval.

NEW TRAINING

Juvenile MediationTraining

We are pleased to announce that we now offer Juvenile Mediation Training.  A prerequisite for this is the General/Civil Mediation Training. The 21 hour training will qualify you for mediation in juvenile issues. 

We are also excited to have Melissa Heard, MSSW, as the trainer.  Melissa has been doing this training for the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution and some of the Juvenile Courts around the state.  Cost is $595.00 ($550.00 if paid for 30 days prior to the trainng).

NEW TRAINING

FATAL ATTRACTION:  Handling Clients with Personality Disorders

We are pleased to have Marti Kitchens Cobb, LMFT, LPC, and Georgia Geiger, LPC, available to present this course.  This oourse is appropriate for mediators, attorneys and therapists.  This will be offered March 27, 2008, and November 6, 2008, in Atlanta, GA.  The hours will be 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.  Cost will be $150.00.