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The Family Law Mediation Clinic assists parties in fashioning settlement agreements to meet their unique needs in a less adversarial setting. As a voluntary and confidential process, mediation addresses and resolves all issues pertinent to the family case, such as custody, visitation, child support, division of property and debt, tax implications and children’s education. Screening for family violence and other power imbalances eliminates cases that are inappropriate for mediation. Court-mandated mediation exposure and experience is also available
Students in the Family Law Mediation Clinic also co-lead the Center’s Pro Se Divorce Clinic, assisting clients in the handling of their own uncontested divorces. Through this part of the practice students gain an understanding of more traditional divorce practice and procedure.
In this clinic, students who have successfully completed any basic mediation training program will receive advanced divorce mediation training to participate fully as co-mediators with a clinical instructor. Students draft memoranda of understanding and separation or parenting agreements.
For academic year 2008-2009, students wishing to work in this clinic must enroll in the Families and Children: Law and Policy Clinical Workshop A (fall) or B (spring). We also encourage interested students to concurrently enroll in any of the following courses: Legal Profession: Delivery of Legal Services (A or B); Legal Profession: The Lawyering Process (A2 or B1); Legal Needs of Moderate Income Clients (fall); Regulation of the Household (spring); Family Law (spring).
The Family Law Mediation Clinic is part of the Center’s Family and Children’s Law Practice Group. For more information on the Clinic, contact Cynthia S. Monteiro, Clinical Instructor, Family and Children’s Law Practice Group, at cmonteir@law.harvard.edu, (617) 390-2548. |
