DivorceNet

Dispute Resolution Center Email Us 14 Scotchtown Avenue P.O. Box 510 Goshen, New York 10924 Phone: 845-294-8082 Fax: 845-294-7428 34 Gleneida Avenue, Suite 200 Carmel, New York 10512 Phone: 845-225-9555 Fax: 845-225-9568 25 Lucas Avenue P.O. Box 3074 Kingston, NY 12402 Phone: 845-331-6136 Fax: 845-331-6021 63 Liberty Street P.O. Box 786 Monticello, NY 12701 Phone: 845-794-3377 Fax: 845-796-2913

DRC provides the following services:

• Custody and Visitation
  
• Divorce
  
• Family Decision Making
  
• Marital Disputes
  
• Parents Apart Program
  
• Parent Child Mediation
  
• Prenuptial Agreements.
  
• Parenting Plans
  

Getting Your Life Back On Track…
Dealing with family conflict can be extremely stressful. Let DRC's professionally trained mediators help you to effectively resolve the issues in dispute. Tailored to the needs of you and your family, DRC provides service that is discreet and individualized in a neutral and confidential setting.

Why You Should Consider Mediation...
Avoiding costly and time consuming litigation is the most cited reason used for choosing mediation. Mediation helps the parties in the dispute reach a mutually beneficial resolution based on their interests and needs. The mediator has no authority to impose a decision on the parties. Instead the mediator helps the parties reach an acceptable and durable agreement that helps them get back on "track" and moving forward.

Benefits of Mediation
In addition to saving time and money, using mediation for family disputes and divorce contributes to building mutually agreeable and enduring resolutions.

How It Works...
At your first appointment DRC staff will explain the process and answer all your questions about divorce mediation. Then, with the mediator's help, you make your own decisions about what is important to you. Our professional mediators will not tell you what to do. They help you to identify issues and to make sound decisions about your concerns and your family.

Fees...
There is no big retainer to pay! Mediation fees are moderate and charged on an hourly, pay as-you-go, basis. There is no fee for Family Court referred custody visitation cases.

The First Step…
Simply call DRC for more information and to set up an appointment.

Custody/Visitation Program
Available in all four counties, the Custody/Visitation Mediation Program is an alternative to the adversarial court system. It provides parents the chance to create or modify a custody agreement or parenting schedule. Upon petition to Family Court, judges refer appropriate cases to the program. Cases are carefully screened for domestic violence substance abuse, and serious mental health issues. Extensively trained volunteer mediators provide the service. Although most referrals to this program come from Family Court, self-referrals and those from human service agencies, schools and other sources are welcome. Other than a modest administrative fee, service is provided at no cost.

Divorce Mediation
Currently available in Orange, Putnam and Ulster Counties, DRC provides mediation services for parties seeking a separation or divorce. Professionally trained mediators assist the parties to reach mutually acceptable resolutions regarding custody/visitation and support, personal/marital property, business and/or partnership property, debts, and any other issues relative to the process. The mediation process can help parties to either facilitate or minimize court involvement while potentially saving both time and money. Fees are charges on an hourly, pay as you go basis.

Parents Apart Program
The Parents Apart Program (formerly P.E.A.C.E.) is designed to help separating, divorced and never married parents focus on the special needs of their children during the reorganization of their family. Parents will learn how parenting apart affects children and adults, how parents can emotionally support their children during this transition, effective parenting apart strategies, and legal information. While most referrals come from Family Court, the program is open to the public for a $30 registration fee. The program is currently offered in Orange County, but is expanding to Sullivan, Putnam and Ulster Counties shortly.

Parent Child Mediation
Available in all four counties, Parent Child Mediation helps parents and adolescents resolve family conflict with the assistance of a professionally trained mediator. The objective of the program is to prevent out-of-home placement of the child by assisting the family to work through differences and disagreements, resulting in a contract or agreement that they find mutually acceptable. Mediation is an alternative to the traditional methods of resolution and will, in many cases, eliminate the need for possible foster care placement or future Family Court involvement. This Program is available to all families with adolescents 12 to 18 years of age who are willing to sit down together and discuss their differences. Families are referred from the Department of Social Services, Family Court, Probation, schools, community agencies, or are self-referred. Service is provided at no cost.

The Dispute Resolution Center (DRC), serving Orange, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster Counties, is dedicated to its mission to "promote the peaceful resolution of conflict" by providing services, education, training, and consultation throughout its four county service area. While the agency is a leading resource for the effective and constructive prevention, management and resolution of conflict in the Mid-Hudson Valley and lower Catskill area, DRC has also distinguished itself for its participation in and contribution to the work of the broader Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) community.

DRC is part of a larger Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) community, the Unified Court System's statewide network of the Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRC)Programs .  Enabled in 1981 by NY State Legislation, Article 21a, there are centers in all 62 New York Counties. Under the auspices of the NYS Unified Court System, the Community Dispute  Resolution Centers, all local non-profit organizations, provide mediation, arbitration, group facilitation and other dispute resolution options as an alternative to the traditional court system. 

The DRC provides a variety of services, including mediation, conciliation, group facilitation and arbitration, processes that are applicable to a broad range of family, youth, school, housing, and business issues.  Additionally, DRC is a leading resource for educational training and workshops in our four county community and beyond.  While DRC regularly provides courses to educate the public and to develop and maintain its volunteer panel, the agency also tailors training to an organization's needs. To develop and enhance the conflict resolution skills of youth, DRC works with school administrators, staff, and parents throughout our four county service area.

A Brief History
The Community Dispute Resolution Centers were established in 1981 by the New York State Legislature when it created the  Program as a three-year pilot project under the administration of what now is the New York State Unified Court System's Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution. This groundbreaking legislation established standards for the delivery of mediation services throughout New York State and authorized funding for local community dispute resolution centers. The legislation was made permanent in 1984, and the Unified Court System now funds local community dispute resolution centers that serve the needs of citizens in every one of New York State's 62 counties.

Approaching our 25th year of service, DRC was established in 1982 as the Orange County Mediation Project, Inc. (OCMP).  In 1986, in addition to implementing the CASA program, the agency also expanded across the majestic Hudson River to assume oversight of the Putnam County program. Along the way, with offices in both Orange and Putnam Counties, it became clear that the program had grown well beyond "project" status. Everyone agreed that it was time to choose a new name, one that would reflect and honor the more permanent status of the organization. Shortly thereafter in 1993 the Orange County Mediation Project, Inc. became known as the Dispute Resolution Center.

The ensuing years were a time of steady growth for the DRC. Beyond the core program of community mediation, the agency was one of the early pilots to offer Special Education Mediation, Custody Visitation Mediation and the Parent Education And Custody Effectiveness (P.E.A.C.E.) in the early 1990's . In 1997, DRC's proposal for a Supreme Court Referred Divorce Mediation Program  was chosen as one of the five pilot programs by Chief Justice Judith Kaye's Judicial Commission. 

All the while, the number of school and youth programs continued to grow, allowing the agency to serve increasing numbers of youth. At the same time, DRC took  the lead in creating collaborative efforts that resulted in expanded and innovative programming and services. Then, in 2002, more than doubling the geographic size of the area served, DRC expanded again by contracting with the New York State Unified Court System  to provide mediation services for Sullivan and Ulster Counties.

Funding Sources
In addition to the NYS Office of Court Administration's funding, DRC's work is supported by grants from the following:

• Orange County Department of Social Services
• Orange County Youth Bureau
• Orange County United Way
• Sullivan County Department of Social Services and Youth Bureau
• NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
• NYS Office of Children and Family Services
• NYS Legislature
• The Cappelli Foundation
• Provident Bank Foundation

Please email us or visit our website for additional information.