Court Approved: Family Law Mediators Can Draft Settlement Documents

From The State Bar of Wisconsin:

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has approved a petition that will allow lawyer-mediators to draft and file settlement documents in family law cases. Currently, parties must obtain different legal counsel to perform those legal tasks after mediation.

More frequently, parties attempt to navigate the legal system with no legal help at all. Another layer to limited scope representation rules that took effect two years ago, the new rule will give parties a more affordable solution to resolve family law disputes.

The Director of State Courts filed petition 16-04 on the recommendation of the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s Planning and Policy Advisory Committee (PPAC).

After a public hearing on the petition last week, a 6-1 majority approved the petition as presented. Justice Shirley Abrahamson did not oppose the petition but did not join the majority. She had moved, unsuccessfully, for amendments to clarify minor points that will likely be addressed in a separate writing on the final order.

The new rule will particularly impact cases involving divorces. The expected effective date of the new rule is July 1, 2017, but the court has not yet issued a final order.

Read more here.