Tuesday February 21, 2012 – Tuesday April 17, 2012
521 Fifth Avenue (entrance on 43rd Street)
Description:
The Center is planning to offer an advanced seminar series in New York City: “The Essentials of Family Law: What Family Mediators and Collaborative Professionals Need to Know.” It will be held on eight consecutive Tuesday evenings starting February 21st (Please note: No class during week of March 6th ) and ending on April 17th. There will be some readings and other homework assignments.
It comes at a time of important change in matrimonial law in New York State. This course, taught by Barry Berkman and Jacqueline Newman, has received rave reviews from those who have taken it and consider it essential to their working effectively and creatively with family disputes. By my and others’ request, the course will be offered again this spring. I have agreed to facilitate the organization of the course. Anyone who has completed the Center’s Mediation Intensive Training or other comparable training is welcome to participate.
Course Description:
In the Center’s Understanding-Based approach to mediation and collaborative practice, it is important that the parties understand the relevant law and potential outcomes in court in order to make fully informed choices together. Many professionals entering the practice of divorce and family mediation, as well as collaborative practice, do not have extensive experience with family law either because they have practiced in other fields or come from other professions. Professionals working in both mediation (including as consulting attorneys) and collaborative practice (including financial advisors and psychological coaches) would therefore benefit from the solid grounding this course will offer in the essentials of family law. For practitioners with a more extensive background in family law, this course will provide a valuable refresher on essential points of law as well as a substantive review of the recent significant changes to New York matrimonial law.
The course will focus on several pivotal areas: the grounds for divorce; equitable distribution; spousal support; child support; and parenting and custody arrangements. It will also address many of the more complicated issues that commonly arise in mediation, such as: dealing with equitable distribution of businesses, licenses, practices and degrees; factoring in tax implications; planning for changing economic circumstances; disposition of the marital home; and planning for future contingencies.
The course will include explication of the law through lecture, written materials (with cases) and illustrations and some role plays of how to bring these elements into the mediation and collaborative context in a clear and productive way. In addition to explaining the substantive details of the law, we will also address how the legal framework may be effectively integrated into the mediation context without controlling the parties or the outcome.
Prerequisite: Completion of the Center’s Mediation Intensive Training or Equivalent Course with the Center
Fee: $850 (including materials.)
How to register /Whom to contact:
Email: [email protected] or register online to reserve a space
To print and mail in a registration form download by clicking, here.
Or contact Cili Phillips: [email protected] (607) 699-1281
Faculty: Barry Berkman and Jacqueline Newman