Child & Family Services Center for Resolution and Justice

About Us

Child & Family Services Center for Resolution and Justice
(CRJ) provides dispute resolution services, education,
training and consultation throughout Western New York. We value honesty,
quality, cooperation, and respect; and we deliver all our services in
keeping with these principles. Our professionally trained staff and
mediators offer years of experience and expertise in a wide range of
dispute resolution processes, including mediation, arbitration,
facilitation, and other consensus building models. In keeping with our
vision to increase awareness and use of appropriate dispute resolution,
we offer conflict management and mediation training programs on a
regular and ongoing basis to community members. 

Our Commitment

CRJ is committed to providing access to high quality, professional
and affordable dispute resolution services. As a nonprofit community
based mediation center, we offer services that respond to the
needs of individuals at all income levels. We developed our
Divorce Mediation Program in response to feedback from our clients and
stakeholders that not all those who want to mediate their separation or
divorce can afford the rates of many area private divorce mediators. We
partnered with attorneys, mediators in private practice, social workers,
therapists, financial planners, and other professionals to design a
program that offers a comprehensive mediation experience and access to
other resources and professionals, as needed, at rates that most
couples can afford.

Why Divorce Mediation?

For your quality of life

If you have decided to separate, think about what you want the near
and long term future to look like. How much time do you want to invest
in your divorce? Do you want to spend the next year or two in court, or
would you rather spend weeks in mediation? Do you want to make decisions
about parenting your children, and how your finances and property will
be divided, or do you want others to decide these things for you? Do you
want to spend the assets you are dividing on a costly legal battle, or
do you want to preserve more of your resources for yourself, your
children, and for moving ahead with your life? Mediation is a better
way – for your future’s sake!

For control in decision making

In almost all cases, mediation is a better way to handle
your divorce. Divorce mediation offers couples the opportunity to
maintain control over the decisions that affect their current situations
and their futures apart. We provide a safe, comfortable, relaxed
environment where mediators guide you through discussions about what
matters to you. Mediators are neutral third parties who often succeed in
helping you talk about children, living arrangements, finances,
property, and other matters that can be difficult to discuss alone. This
reduces stress and allows you to make the decisions you need to achieve
the outcome you want.  

Especially for parents

Divorce mediation is especially beneficial for parents who don’t want
to put their children in the middle. Although you have decided to end
your relationship as a couple, your communication as parents is
critical. Our mediators will help you with techniques to minimize
conflict and to interact productively now and in the future. Mediation
is a better way – for your kids’ sake!

For your privacy

Chances are your relationship was a private matter when you were
together, and you don’t want your divorce to be aired in public! The
nature of the adversarial process requires that you disclose personal
matters and financial information. Mediation is confidential. The
mediator will not divulge any information from the mediation process,
including whether you are a client, to any other party without your
consent. 

For your convenience

Our Divorce Mediation Program is managed centrally in our main office
in Buffalo, New York. Mediation sessions can be scheduled in any of our
offices located in:

• Buffalo


• Niagara Falls


• Batavia
  


• Jamestown


• 
  

  Olean

  
  

What Does It Cost?

CRJ offers a sliding fee scale for divorce mediation. On average,
fees range from $50 to $100 per hour. Most divorce mediations take 3 to 4
sessions to complete, and each session lasts about 2 hours. We
offer a discount to the employees of member companies of Child &
Family Services Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Attorney’s fees for reviewing mediation agreements or drafting and
filing a Legal Separation Agreement are paid separately and typically
range from $700 - $1500. 

Mediation settlements, even with attorney or other professionals’
fees, will almost always be at least 50% less than the cost of a
litigated settlement. When you consider the emotional costs of
litigation to you and your family, mediation is, by far, a better
way!