Often, when a child custody and visitation matter is set for hearing with the court (most often after a Request for Order is filed by a party), the parties are scheduled for an appointment with Family Court Services for a Child Custody Recommending Counseling session. The parties go into this meeting by themselves, without counsel, and must be prepared to discuss their concerns about the current plan, the plan they want to be implemented, and be able to articulate the reasons why they want it and be prepared to discuss the other parent’s concerns. When emotions and time with children are involved, this is not always easy. For this reason, many people prepare for the session by educating themselves, discussing it with an attorney, or obtaining a referral to a professional for a prep session.
If the parents have come to a full agreement, the counselor will prepare a written report and provide it to the court. If the parents did not agree, after the session, the counselor will review his or her notes and prepare a recommendation to the court for the parenting plan. The court’s website has additional helpful information.
For information about Family Court Services, there is a Parent Orientation meeting twice per month at the Family Court at 1555 6th Avenue. Currently, these are held on the 1st Thursday of the month at 4:00 p.m. and the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 12:00 p.m.
