Mediation Cases
The Probate Case referred to LCCR by the judge:
The parties (paternal grandmother and maternal aunt) had been trying to resolve their case that had been on-going for almost a year. The minor in this case was the only party represented by counsel. The difficulties of the case were not only the underlying needs and emotions, but also that the parties only spoke Spanish and were at an impasse. This was our first face-to-face mediation since the Stay at Home Order was issued. After mediating for six hours, the parties were able to have a heart to heart conversation about what each person wanted for the minor and reached a resolution they believed was in the best interest of the child. The parties agreed that the child would reside with the aunt and visit the grandmother, even though the aunt had fewer financial resources than the grandmother.
The divorced couple calling LCCR for assistance to decide on a Celebration of Life and what to do with the remains of their minor daughter, whose passing away was eminent:
Mom and dad had a contentious relationship since their divorce and had been to court several times over the past years regarding their familial situation. Because of their past experiences, the two were unable to work together to handle the devastating situation of their daughter, Marie. Marie was in hospice care and did not want to make the decision. (Any decision favoring one parent, would be a betrayal to the other). The parties each had different locations in mind and the situation had escalated due to the lack of communication and disagreements between them regarding the daughter’s care throughout her illness.
Given the sensitive nature and that time was of the essence, we quickly scheduled a face-to-face mediation. During the mediation, their goal was to be able to communicate with each other about the situation, come up with an agreement and work with each other to foster a positive relationship. The parties came to mediation and had difficult but necessary conversations with the help of LCCR's mediators.
By the end of the day, the parents were able to put their differences aside, listen to each other, and reach an agreement with respect the remains and the Celebration of Life. Marie's needs were also met in that she did not to carry an extra burden by having to make this difficult decision.