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Event Information

Family Court Mediation Certification & Advanced Negotiation Workshop - Greenville

October 07, 2024 - October 11, 2024


If you are interested in becoming a South Carolina Supreme Court Certified Family Court Mediator, the first step is to complete the Family Court Mediator Training Program sponsored by the South Carolina Bar.  This 40 hour program has been approved by the Commission on ADR and meets all the requirements of ADR Rule 20(b).

This course is not a classroom lecture but is a highly interactive program that will equip you with all the training and skills you will need to enter into the practice of mediation.

The two presenters, Bruce M. Poore and Haley Harden, will provide you with an opportunity to learn new skills and to improve your existing skills to get you off to a great start.

The program materials have been designed to cover all the relevant areas you need to be familiar with and understand, including but not limited to: mediation process; the role of the mediator; how to successfully organize a mediation conference; mediation skills; the nature of conflict and its effect on litigants; court procedures; substantive law; ethics; Online Dispute Resolution; and agreement writing.

This is not your traditional sit and take notes type of program.  There is extensive in-class participation in all parts of a mediation conference that will allow you to experience first hand what it is like to work as a mediator.

This is the best place to start your entry into Family Court mediation.

 

About the Trainers
Bruce M. Poore graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Philosophy in 1974 and from the University of South Carolina School of Law with a J.D. in 1977. 
From 1977 to 1979 Mr. Poore served as a law clerk to Associate Justice George T. Gregory, Jr. and during those two years he received a priceless education from a wonderful mentor. After completing his clerkship with Judge Gregory, he returned home to York County. Mr. Poore enjoyed a brief stint as Municipal Judge for the Town of Clover; a couple of years as an Assistant Solicitor for the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit; and a lengthy tenure as a coach for the Northwestern High School Mock Trial team. He is a former certified Rider Coach for the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Rider's Edge New Riders Course and Skilled Riders Course. Mr. Poore is an Eagle Scout.
As with most small town attorneys, Mr. Poore began his practice by taking the legal work that walked in his door. Finding his primary interests to be working with the people and the issues involved in family disputes, he focused his practice in the area of Family Law. He is trained as a Collaborative Family Attorney and participates as a member of a team of collaborative divorce consultants in his home area. Mr. Poore currently serves as a volunteer Mediator for the York County Family Court Self Represented Litigant Mediation Program. Presently his practice is limited to Mediation and Collaborative Law.
In July 2012 Mr. Poore took his first Family Court Mediation Training Program with Ms. Bryan and Mr. Sarratt and also took the Circuit Court Civil Mediator Course in August 2013. Finding a calling in family mediation, he took the Family Court Mediation Training again in March 2016 and July 2017 and began to assist the trainers. 

Haley Harden, was born in Charlotte, NC and has lived in the surrounding area her entire life. She attended Gardner-Webb University from 2004-2008 where she played Division 1 softball and graduated Cum Laude. She attended law school at the Charlotte School of Law and graduated in 2011. She met her husband, Billy Harden, while in law school. Together they opened Harden Law Firm in 2013 where they practice family law in Fort Mill, South Carolina. They have one son, Logan, who is an avid golfer. Haley has transitioned her practice to mediations, almost exclusively, and enjoys helping parties reach an amicable resolution in Family Court.
 

 


The South Carolina Bar is an accredited CLE provider in South Carolina only. Attorneys are responsible for seeking their own credit in other jurisdictions.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in CLE programs and publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the South Carolina Bar, its sections, or committees. The South Carolina Bar believes that all Bar members have the right to both meaningful learning and to the exchange of ideas in a civil environment. The Bar reserves the right to remove or exclude any person from a Bar event if that person is causing inappropriate disturbance, behaving in a manner inconsistent with accepted standards of decorum, or in any way preventing fellow Bar members from meaningful participation and learning.

Registration Fees

Member Registration
$1450.00
Non Member Registration
$1450.00
Price Description Amount

Agenda

Speakers

NameOrganizationSpeaking At
Bruce Poore
  -
Haley Harden
  -

Policy

Continuing Education

Agenda

FAMILY MEDIATION TRAINING -  AGENDA (scheduled to change)

8:15 a.m.-5:15 p.m. each day, one hour for lunch, 15-minute breaks morning and afternoon

 

DAY 1

8:15      Registration

 

8:15     Welcome; Housekeeping; Schedule; Materials

            

8:45    Brief Introduction to Mediation:  How does it Differ from other forms of Conflict Resolution?

Rule 1—Self-Determination

 

9:00     Introductions of Each Other (in pairs, then to group)                             

 

9:45     Conflict:  Introduction to and discussion of Conflict Paradigm.  If we are going to deal with conflict resolution, it might help to know a bit about conflict itself

 

10:15   Break

 

10:30   Role Play—Ray and Barbara—Conflict Resolution in a Fishbowl

Introductory Discussion of Substantive Law: Authority of Family Court, Motions for Temporary Relief, Affidavits in Temporary Hearings, Temporary and final orders, Temporary and merits hearings, Time Periods

1.     They try to work it out themselves

2.     Temporary Hearing—conflict continues to increase, the parties feel Disconnected, Disempowered, Disabled, and eventually Demonized

3.    Mediation Demo

 

11:30   Debrief the Role Play

 

12:00 – 1:00    Lunch

 

1:00     Intake and Preparation:  Stage 1

 

 2:00    Listening Skills—Listening, Asking Questions, Reframing, Summarizing

 

3:00     Break

 

3:15     Opening StatementDiscussion, Demonstration

 

4:00     InteractiveWrite & Practice Opening Statements

 

5:00     Debrief Opening Statements

 

5:15     Adjourn

 

 DAY 2

 

8:15     Ethics/Standards

 

9:00     Separation and Divorce—Emotional Impact--How parties are feeling

 

9:30     Mediation—Early Stages

1.     Preparation

2.     Mediator Opening Statement

3.    Party Opening Statement

 

10:15  Break

 

10:30   Discussion of substantive South Carolina law and procedure that is applicable to the Role play

Temporary and Merits Hearing; Care, custody, support of children; Scope of mediation in family court cases; Fault Grounds

 

11:00   Role Play—Who Moves Out? 

 

            Reference Role Play Guide, Observation Forms.

            Focus on Listening Skills, Opening Statements, What worked well, Challenges

 

12:00 – 1:00    Lunch

 

1:00     Debrief the Role Play

 

1:30     Children’s Issues

 

2:30     Mediator Role—Job Description

 

3:00     Break

 

3:15     Discussion of substantive South Carolina law and procedure that is applicable to the role  play

Parenting Plan; Sole custody, joint custody, split custody; Visitation; Best interest standard; Decision-making; Children in Court; Child Support Guidelines  (Parent cannot contract away support); Criteria for determining Support; Duration of Support; Educational Expenses; Medical Insurance and child care, Dependency Exemptions 

 

4:00   Role Play –School Daze

 

5:00     Debrief the Role Play

 

5:15     Adjourn

 

DAY 3

8:15     Ethics/Standards

 

9:00     Middle Stages--

Stage 4---  Organizing the Mediation Topics List

                        Stage 5---  Gathering Information—Preparing for the Mediation

                        Stage 6---  Identifying and Clarifying Interests

                                      Positional Bargaining vs. Interests/Values

10:00   Break

 

10:15   Discussion of substantive South Carolina law and procedure that is applicable to the role play.

Alimony (Fifteen factors to consider, types of Alimony), Dates of valuation, Allocation of Debt; Equitable Apportionment, Capital Gains and Losses, Depreciation of rental and business property, Marital and non-Marital Property defined 

 

11:15   Role Play—Show me the Money

 

12:00 – 1:00    Lunch

 

1:00     Debrief the Role Play

 Focus on Opening Statements, Organization, Identifying Interests, What worked well, Challenges

 

1:30     People Issues

            Balance of Power                                           Temporary Orders

            High Emotions                                                Guardians ad litem

            Personality Types                                           Gender Differences

           

2:30     Use of Caucus—slow down the process, attend to the people

 

3:00     Dealing with Impasses—What is Impasse?

 

3:15     Break

 

3:30     Discussion of substantive South Carolina law and procedure that is applicable to the role play.

Fault Grounds, Mediator Responsibilities, Authority of Court to waive or order mediation, Post-decree cases; Can mediated agreements be changed, and when? Contempt; modification of prior Court Orders  

 

4:30     Role Play—Busted and Angry

 

5:00     Debrief the Role Play-- Focus on Opening Statements, People Skills, Use of Caucus, What worked well, Challenges

 

5:15     Adjourn

 

 

DAY 4

 

8:15     Ethics/Standards

 

9:00     Financial Information/Resources; Retirement;Technological Resources                                                                   

                                                                                                                       

9:30     Working with Attorneys in the Mediation

 

9:45     Stage 7—Generating Options

            Brainstorming                          Reality Testing

            Making Offers                         Analyzing Options

 

10:00   Break

           

10:15   Discussion of substantive South Carolina law and procedure that is applicable to the role play—how cases arrive in mediation; pro se parties; Wills, Life Insurance, Social Security; Retirement and Pensions, QDRO's; Family and closely held businesses

 

11:00   Role Play—Alimony & Property—Blanche and Marvin

 

12:00 – 1:00    Lunch

 

1:00     Debrief the Role Play

Focus on Opening Statement, What’s different with Attorneys Present, Organizing, Skills Used, Challenges

           

2:00     Outside Influences:  Help or Hindrance?—Stakeholders, Professionals, GAL’s, Step-parents, grandparents

 

2:30     Young, Unmarried Parents; Retirement Age; Various Demographics

 

3:00     Break

 

3:15     Discussion of substantive South Carolina law and procedure that is applicable to the role play

Roles of Mediators, Attorneys, and Guardians ad litem; Emancipated Minors; Unmarried parents, Paternity actions; Grandparents Rights; DSS cases

 

4:00     Role Play—Parents as Partners

Focus on Opening Statement, Challenges with Teen Parents, Use of Attorneys and Caucus, Organizing

 

5:00     Debrief the Role Play

 

5:15     Adjourn

 

DAY 5

 

8:15     Ethics/Standards

 

9:00     Domestic Violence Screening—guest speaker

 (Includes Substantive Law Discussion--definitions of domestic abuse, contempt actions, protective orders, waiving of mediation) 

10:00   Break

 

10:15   Stage 8—Developing Agreements

                        Finalizing, Writing, using Attachments

                        BATNA

10:30   Online Dispute Resolution

Benefits and Pitfalls, Platforms, Hybrid Model, Best Practices, Tips Demonstration of use of Breakout Rooms, Getting Signatures 

 

11:00   Discussion of Mediator Certification

 

11:30   Discussion of Volunteer and Networking Opportunities—Making Change Happen

 

12:00 – 1:00    Lunch

 

1:00     Role Play—Daddy’s Girls—(Fishbowl)

 

2:00     Debrief the Role Play

 

3:00     Collaborative Law

 

4:00     Debrief the Class

            What helped the Lightbulbs go on?

            What helped turn the corner?

            What was most useful?

            Suggestions

 

5:00     Evaluation Forms

Present Certificates

Take Class Picture

 

5:15     Adjourn

 

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