The JFCS Family Mediation Center offers dispute resolution services for all types of family conflicts, including separation and divorce. Our mediators are familiar with the therapeutic and legal issues involved in family conflicts and they work with clients to ensure informed and mutually satisfying agreements. At the end of the process, the mediator will prepare a Memorandum of Understanding, which expressly states the agreements reached by the parties during mediation. In cases involving divorce or separation, the Memorandum of Understanding can be used by the parties' attorneys to draft the Marital Settlement Agreement. In addition, mediation participants and their family members can take advantage of JFCS' wide range of services, including support groups, workshops and individual counseling to help them move beyond the past and plan for their future.

The Family Mediation Center offers mediation for the following disputes:

Marital Disputes
• Budget and money management
• Disagreements over child rearing and discipline
• Division of household responsibilities

Non-Traditional Family Disputes
• Property division for non-marital partners
• Visitation agreements for non-biological parents

Family Conflicts
• Inheritance disputes
• Elder care issues
• Stepfamily disputes and adjustments
• Parent-teen conflicts

Pre-Marital Agreements
• Clarifying expectations
• Pre-nuptial planning and contracts

Separation and Divorce
• Temporary financial agreements
• Custody, visitation and parenting agreements
• Property division
• Child and spousal support agreements

Post-Divorce
• Compliance with prior agreements
• Modifications in support, physical custody or visitation
• College decisions and costs
• Grandparent visitation

Mediation offers significant benefits over traditional methods of resolving conflict by:

• Resolving disputes quickly and economically
• Providing a non-adversarial forum
• Offering greater control over the process and satisfaction with the outcome
• Improving or restoring communication
• Reducing bitterness
• Protecting privacy and confidentiality

An impartial professional mediator helps the parties define their disputes, clarify their needs and interests, consider settlement options, and reach fair and mutually satisfying agreements.

Anyone with the desire to settle disputes reasonably can reach agreement in mediation. Mediation can be effective even when conflict and anger are high because the process itself helps restore communication between the parties.

JFCS offers a variety of programs and services that enhance the mediation process. For more information about these programs, please click here.

The Family Mediation Center is a program of Jewish Family and Children's Services, The Miriam Schultz Grunfeld Professional Building, 2150 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

To learn more about mediation, call Yael Moses, MFCC, Family Mediator Center Coordinator, at (415) 449-1234 or YaelM@jfcs.org