Mediation Services

Family Mediation Center

The Family Mediation Center founded by Lois Gold in 1980, was the first family mediation service in Oregon. The center provides a forum for individuals in conflict to resolve their disputes in an atmosphere which promotes cooperation, increases communication and understanding, and allows an opportunity for healing between parties who have continuing relationships. Parties benefit by having more control over important decisions, reduced costs in terms of time, money and emotional turmoil, and agreements which address their real needs and concerns. Mediation provides divorcing couples a way to end their marriages with dignity and focus on the long-term good of the post-divorce family. Over 90% of the matters brought to the center are resolved.

Mediation Specialization

• Separation assessment and consultation: Helping couples in crisis evaluate the potential for rebuilding the marriage or the need to separate. Defining the terms of the separation and developing interim agreements about finances, children, and living space.
   
• Divorce mediation: Developing agreements about terms of divorce-- parenting plans, financial support arrangements, and the division of assets and debts.
   
• Post-divorce mediation: When changing circumstances, continuing conflict or problems in communicating require a modification in the parenting plan or a safe, neutral forum in which to address issues.
   
• Pre-marital agreements: Using the expertise of a mediator with a clinical background to help couples talk through their concerns about assets and financial matters as part of coming to an understanding or developing a pre-nuptial agreement.
   
• Domestic Partnership: A forum to develop or dissolve domestic partnership agreements.
   
• Organizational and workplace disputes: Mediating disputes between employees, management and employees, and management and constituents.
   
• Inheritance and Probate: Helping family members resolve disputes over matters of moral, ethical, or financial responsibility or terms of distribution.
   
• Family business: Facilitating dialogue or mediating conflicts within family businesses.
   
• Partnership and small business disputes: A forum to negotiate conflict within a partnership or the terms of dissolution.
   
• Post Office EEO disputes: Contractor in the Post Office Redress program.
   
• Training and seminars in conflict resolution: Design and provide in-service training for business, organizations, and institutional settings.