A Glimpse into the Separation of Two Gay Couples
Dr. Lynne C. Halem 11/24/2008
Gay couples, not unlike straight couples, have different stories to tell, different issues to resolve. Yet since Massachusetts’s legalization of gay marriages, the “divorcing” population can be divided clearly into two distinctive sets: one group “living together outside of marriage” and the other “married.”

The 140-Page Majority Prop 8 Opinion In A Single Paragraph
Victoria Pynchon 06/01/2009
Best summary of the 140 page majority opinion (.pdf of opinion here) in Reading the Decision at the Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan. This opinion eviscerates and then upholds Proposition 8 as constitutionally inoffensive.

Report from the Wingspread Conference on Domestic Violence and Family Courts
Clare Dalton, Nancy Ver Steegh 03/31/2008
In February of 2007 the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts brought together a working group of thirty-seven experienced practitioners and researchers to identify and explore conceptual and practical tensions that have hampered effective work with families in which domestic violence has been identified or alleged. Five central sets of issues were raised at the conference and are discussed in this report. These include the following: differentiation among families experiencing domestic violence; screening and triage; participation by families in various processes and services; appropriate outcomes for children; and family court roles and resources. The report emphasizes the need for continued multidisciplinary collaboration in order to better serve families affected by domestic violence and it includes an appendix of consensus points as well as suggestions for formation of ongoing work groups.

Community Peace-maker: An Interview with John B. Stephens
Gini Nelson 01/14/2008
This is an interview by Gini Nelson of John B. Stephens. Among many accomplishments, John is co-author of Reaching for Higher Ground in Conflict Resolution and an associate professor at the School of Government, UNC-Chapel Hill. He has worked on education, land use, and environmental issues, and designed and facilitated dialogues on homosexuality and denominational policies in the United Methodist Church. He can be reached at www.ncpdr.unc.edu

Mediation of Gay/Lesbian Marriages Not Found in Court
Richard Gordon 08/08/2001
Straight couples can use case law and statutes to untangle their relationships and property. Gay and lesbian couples cannot. The most they can hope for from the law is to be treated as a failed partnership: a business entity. One solution for this problem is Mediation.

How Mediation Can Help Same Gender Relationships
Barry Simon 04/20/2001
Since same gender couples cannot legally marry yet in most states and foreign countries, how can they formalize their relationships? By using a "Living Together Agreement." In this way they can couple consciously in an attempt to create a solid foundation on which to build their relationship. It's the perfect tool for sweeping away false expectations and building honest, authentic communication.

Family Section Editorial Winter 2001
Donald T. Saposnek 03/03/2001
Family Mediation has found a new home. The Academy of Family Mediators, which, for the past 20 years, has been the premier international professional organization for family mediators has, as of January, 2001, merged with the two other national organizations for alternative dispute resolution – SPIDR (Society for Professionals in Dispute Resolution), and CREnet (Conflict Resolution Education Network). The new amalgam organization, called the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) is now the largest membership association in the conflict resolution field, and has as its mission, “...to promote peaceful, effective conflict resolution.”

Reconciliation Through New Community Meetings
Bob Keefer 02/14/2001
In 1994, John Koekkoek, an evangelical Christian pastor, and Nadia Telsey, a lesbian activist got involved in A New Community Meeting. They were two people living in two worlds separated by a gulf of suspicion and hatred. Then they met, face to face, and spent months at work in a deliberate effort to find common ground.

Family Section Editorial Fall 2000
Donald T. Saposnek 09/29/2000
I am delighted to serve as Editor for the Family Section of the MIRC collection of informative articles. Thank you for visiting this site. I hope that we provide you with useful information and ideas that you can immediately use in your life and work. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

Same Sex Divorce Mediation.
Jonathan Crane 01/01/1999
The Gay Community has, to date, not been as well served. Same sex separations are, of course, every bit as emotionally charged and messy as heterosexual divorces. Property division is far more messy.