Residents of Nassau County looking to resolve their divorce disputes in Court will now be required to simultaneously undergo at least one session of mediation with a court ordered mediator thanks to an initiative started by the now deceased supervising Judge of the matrimonial parts, Hon. Robert A. Ross J.S.C.

The initiative, which  started on March 14th, 2011, was put in place in  hopes that Court Ordered mediation would result in  less litigation and better results for the disputing parties.   The initial mandatory session is free of charge after which the parties  decide whether they wish to pay for additional sessions or simply proceed in Court.

This initiative comes at a crucial time where budget cuts to the State Court system have left Judges overworked and overloaded with cases.    Time will tell whether the initiative will be of any value to either the parties and/or the judicial system.   At a minimum, the initiative brings a strong boost to advocates of the ADR movement and will likely foster an increased awareness of viable alternatives to litigation.