Or. Uni. Trial. Ct. R. 12.070

As amended through January 17, 2024

Rule 12.070 - QUALIFICATION AS AN APPROVED DOMESTIC RELATIONS CUSTODY AND PARENTING MEDIATOR, ONGOING OBLIGATIONS

To become an approved domestic relations custody and parenting mediator, an individual must establish, to the satisfaction of the determining authority, that the individual meets or exceeds all the following qualifications and will continue to meet ongoing requirements as described.

(1) Education. An applicant must possess at least one of the following:

(a) A master's or doctoral degree in counseling, psychiatry, psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, or mental health from an accredited college or university.

(b) A law degree from an accredited law school with course work and/or Continuing Legal Education credits in family law.

(c) A master's or doctoral degree in a subject relating to children and family dynamics, education, communication, or conflict resolution from an accredited college or university, with coursework in human behavior, plus at least one year full-time equivalent post-degree experience in providing social work, mental health, or conflict resolution services to families.

(d) A bachelor's degree in a behavioral science related to family relationships, child development, or conflict resolution, with coursework in a behavioral science, and at least seven years full-time equivalent post-bachelor's experience in providing social work, mental health, or conflict resolution services to families.

(2) Training. An applicant must have completed training in each of the following areas:

(a) The basic mediation curriculum in UTCR 12.100;

(b) The domestic relations custody and parenting mediation curriculum in UTCR 12.110; and

(c) Court-system training in UTCR 12.130, or substantially similar training.

(3) Experience. An applicant must have completed one of the following types of experience:

(a) Participation in at least 20 cases including a total of at least 100 hours of domestic relations mediation supervised by or co-mediated with a person qualified as a domestic relations custody and parenting mediation supervisor under this section. At least ten cases and 50 hours of the supervised cases must be in domestic relations custody and parenting mediation. At least three of the domestic relations custody and parenting mediation cases must have direct observation by the qualified supervisor; or

(b) At least two years full-time equivalent experience in any of the following: mediation, direct therapy or counseling experience with an emphasis on short-term problem solving, or as a practicing attorney handling a domestic relations or juvenile caseload. Applicants must have:

(i) Participated as a mediator or comediator in a total of at least ten cases including a total of at least 50 hours of domestic relations custody and parenting mediation, and

(ii) An understanding of court-connected domestic relations programs.

(4) Continuing education. As an ongoing obligation, an approved domestic relations custody and parenting mediator must complete 24 hours of continuing education every two calendar years, beginning January 1 of the year after the mediator's approval by the determining authority, as described in UTCR 12.140.

(5) Conduct. An applicant and, as an ongoing obligation, an approved domestic relations custody and parenting mediator must subscribe to the mediator ethics in UTCR 12.040.

(6) Public information. An applicant and, as an ongoing obligation, an approved domestic relations custody and parenting mediator must comply with requirements to provide and maintain information in UTCR 12.050.

(7) Supervision. A qualified domestic relations custody and parenting mediation supervisor is an individual who has:

(a) Met the qualifications of a domestic relations custody and parenting mediator as defined in UTCR 12.070;

(b) Completed at least 35 cases including a total of at least 350 hours of domestic relations custody and parenting mediation beyond the experience required of a domestic relations custody and parenting mediator in this section; and

(c) An understanding of court-connected domestic relations programs.

Or. Uni. Trial. Ct. R. 12.070

Adopted June 10, 2022, effective 8/1/2022.