In divorce cases where there are children who are under the age of 18, the divorce judgement will address child custody, support, and visitation. Divorce cases where there are minor children involved may be referred to the Friend of the Court office for investigation and recommendations. If you do not have a lawyer, consult the local telephone book for a Lawyer Referral Service number or a complete list of lawyers in the yellow pages under Attorneys. In addition, some employers provide a legal plan as part of their employee benefits. Check with your employer to see if this benefit is available.
Mediation is the process of two or more people settling problems without going to court.
A neutral person called a mediator will work with both sides to assist them in reaching a satisfactory resolution of the problem. Mediation services do not work in all cases but a variety of cases can be successfully resolved using mediation. Mediation of disputes between farmers and U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies is also available, as is mediation for parents involved in disputes with schools over special education issues. Each year, over 10,000 people solve their problems this way. If you have a dispute with someone, call the local community dispute resolution center in your area.