FAQs for Professionals

Whose side are you on?

How long will this take?

How much will it cost my client?

How will you keep me in the loop?

How do expect me to participate in the process?

What’s your approach regarding confidentiality?


Whose side are you on?
We're on the side of the kids. (back to top)

How long will this take?
We can usually complete the mediation process in about three ninety-minute sessions.
If you have referred parents for co-parent counseling or individual counseling, how long it takes depends on what the parents want to address.
If parents have been told by the court that they need oversight (“parent coordination”) in order to ensure that they are carrying out their co-parenting plan, then we might check in regularly over a long period until the court is satisfied that the parents no longer need our help.
It is not in the best interest of kids or their families for these things to drag on. That is why our processes are solution-focused. Our goal is to find solutions as quickly as possible. (back to top)
How much will it cost my clients? It depends how hard they are willing to work toward resolution. When parents work together with the best interest of their children in mind, it is always less costly than going back to court over and over and over again. Like other mental health therapy/services, our counseling services might be covered by the parents' health insurance. Payment plans are available. (back to top) How will you keep me in the loop? How you will be kept in the loop depends upon your relationship with the parents and the circumstances under which you have referred them to us.
If you are a therapist, physician, cleric, or attorney, you no doubt understand that we hold ourselves to the same ethical standards of confidentiality that you do. With the parents' permission, we may check in with you to let you know how well we believe they are making progress toward their goals. We will share only as much information as the parents have authorized us to share. Once the parents have reached an agreement, with their permission we’ll summarize this understanding in a letter to you. If our involvement with the parents is court-ordered, we report as frequently as is required. (back to top)

How do you expect me to participate in the process?

Sometimes it is helpful to involve the referring professional to ensure that the whole process will run more smoothly. If we recommend to the parents that their attorneys or therapists, their children's therapists or physicians, etc., be involved, we leave it up to them to decide.(back to top)

What's your approach regarding confidentiality? We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards of professional practice. Wisconsin law designates custody and placement mediation to be “settlement negotiation.” This means that mediation is considered privileged communication and will be held in confidence, and the contents of mediation are barred from court proceedings. Occasionally, parents will agree to release information to the court, so that the judge can formalize their agreements into a court order; likewise, they might sign a release of information if our conferring with a third party, such as a child’s therapist, will help them reach a mediated agreement. Services like co-parent counseling and individual counseling are considered “therapy,” and so are bound by the confidentiality requirements of mental health treatment. Parent coordination is not a therapeutic process, and is not bound by the confidentiality requirements of mental health treatment. IMPORTANT NOTE: There are two ethical and legal exceptions to confidentiality. First, as a “mandated reporter,” we are required to disclose information when we believe a child may be the victim of abuse or neglect. Second, we are legally and ethically required to report otherwise confidential information when there is reason to believe a parent might harm him/herself or is a physical danger to another person who otherwise would be unaware of this threat.



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FAQs for Professionals

Whose side are you on?

How long will this take?

How much will it cost my clients?

How will you keep me in the loop?

How do you expect me to participate in the process?

What's your approach regarding confidentiality?