Full course description
Divorce Mediation Training
Presented by Champlain College and NorthStar Group
A 61-hour interactive training for professional Divorce/Family Mediators
Susanne Terry, M.S.
Thea Lloyd, JD
Lori Lustberg, JD, CFP, CDFA
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Early bird discount for registrations before November 1st.
Divorce Mediation Training
is designed for persons who intend to practice Divorce Mediation or Parent Coordination. The workshop employs a mixture of teaching techniques including presentation, demonstration, case analysis, and simulation. All participants will have individualized practice observation and feedback by experienced practicing divorce/family mediators. To successfully complete the training, participants must fully attend all sessions and demonstrate a basic understanding of the concepts and skills addressed in the training. There is some between session work such as reading of articles, watching videos, and preparation for simulations.
This Divorce Mediation Training meets a significant portion of the basic requirements for the status of Practitioner member of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) and to apply to be on the roster of the Vermont Superior Court Family Mediation Program. The training is in accordance with Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators endorsed by the American Bar Association and ACR.
The training has been approved by the Association for Conflict Resolution and meets all standards for its presentation.
CORE DIVORCE MEDIATION TRAINING – Workshop #1 – 40+ hours ($2000, $1700 if registered before November 1st)
Tuesdays & Saturdays, November 30th - January 26th, 2022 (Sessions #1 - 10)
12:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern
Schedule, November 2021
Tues. 11/30: 12:00 - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 1
Schedule, December 2021
Sat. 12/4: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 2
Tues. 12/7: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 3
Sat. 12/11: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 4
Tues. 12/14: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 5
Schedule, January 2022
Tues. 1/11: 12:00 - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 6
Sat. 1/15: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 7
Tues. 1/18: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 8
Sat.1/22: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 9
Tues. 1/25: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Divorce Session 10
Elective Trainings (Registration and payment for these are separate)
Workshop #2 (Sessions #11 & 12) 8+ hours --$150
Thursday, February 10th – Basics of Taxes and Pensions, Pt.1
Thursday, February 17th – Basics of Taxes and Pensions, Pt. 2
8:30 am -12:30 pm Eastern
Workshop #3 (Session #13) 4+ hours --$100
Thursday February 24th – Introduction to Child Support
12:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern
Workshop #4 (Session #14) 4+ hours -- $100
Thursday, March 3rd – Managing Financial Negotiations
12:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern
Instructors:
Susanne Terry has been a divorce and family mediator in Vermont since 1981. She is a contract mediator with the Vermont Superior Court Family Mediation Program, and Advanced Practitioner Member of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR). Susan is the Case Supervisor for the Vermont Superior Court Parent Coordination Program and is a frequent presenter on family and divorce matters at regional and national gatherings. She is a contributor to and editor of the recently published More Justice, More Peace: When Peacemakers Are Advocates and is co-editor of the Practitioners’ Guide Series and the ACR publication series of Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.
Thea Lloyd graduated from Northeastern School of Law in 1980, and added mediation to her law practice in 1994. She is a contract mediator with the Vermont Superior Court Family Mediation Program, and a member of the Vermont Bar Association, Vermont Family Mediators ( VFaM), and the Vermont Family Rules Committee. She was an Acting Magistrate in the child support docket for 5 years, and worked for the Vermont Judiciary as a family court case manager for 4 years. Thea has collaborated and presented on various seminars focused on mediation, divorce and child support, and teaches the court-mandated parenting class - Helping Children Cope with Separation and Divorce.
Lori Lustberg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Burlington College and a J.D. from Vermont Law School. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) practitioner and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®). Prior to joining Pathway Financial Advisors, LLC in March 2019, Lori was the principal of Lori Lustberg, Esq., LLC, providing mediation and divorce financial planning services to individuals and couples. Lori is a frequent presenter on taxation and financial issues to professional organizations, including the Vermont Bar Association. She is co-president of the Association of Divorce Financial Planners, a national nonprofit organization, and has served as a member of the Alimony Subcommittee of the Vermont Supreme Court’s Family Division Oversight Committee.
Workshop #1 – Divorce Mediation 10 session Core Training – Susan Terry & Thea Lloyd
Pre-requisites – all participants must have had the Champlain College Basic Mediation training or a comparable training.
Workshop Topics
· The Framework of Divorce and Separation
· Components & function of Divorce & Family Mediation
· Structure of the Mediation process
· Continuum of techniques used by the mediator
· Psychology of divorce and separation
· Family as a system & family dynamics
· Divorce Mediation in the shadow of the law
· Introduction to mediating financial issues
· Capacity issues in mediation – alcohol, drugs, mental capability, abuse
· Issues of children in Divorce
· Power dynamics in the mediation process
· Professional conduct and ethics
· Starting your practice
· Advanced techniques of working with families
Elective Training Days – Workshops #2, 3 & 4 - (Not required as part of the core Divorce Mediation Training – the content is required for VSCFMP and ACR Advanced Practitioner. Registration and payment for these workshops are separate).
Workshop #2 (two sessions)
What Mediators Need to Know About Taxes & Pensions with Lori Lustberg
Pre-requisite: workshop 1
Workshop Topics
· Why mediators need to have a basic grasp of taxes, pensions, & investments
· The basics of taxes in divorce
· Key questions to ask
· The law and division of assets
· Understanding tax exemptions and credits
· Why IRS matters in a divorce
· Types of pensions
· Why some pensions or investments that appear to be equal, are not
· Nuances of writing financial agreements
· What are the key things about finances that mediators must know?
Workshop #3
Intro to Child Support with Thea Lloyd
Pre-requisite: workshop 1
Workshop Topics
· How VT Child Support works
· Basic Structure of child support
· What does it pay for?
· Changing child support
· Why do mediators need to know about child support?
WORKSHOP #4
Managing Financial Negotiations - with Susan Terry
Pre-requisite: workshops 1 & 2
Workshop Topics
- Managing the paperwork of financial aspects of a Vermont divorce
- Advanced issues in designing process for financial discussions
- Working with attorneys in property and financial discussions
- Dealing with the house – who gets it, who pays for it, what if they continue to own it together
- When clients owning a business/professional practice
- From pots and pans to Porsches – managing who gets what
GENERAL WORKSHOP INFORMATION
Location: On line via Zoom
Cost
Workshop 1 - $2000 ($1700 if paid by November 1st)
Workshop 2 - $ 150
Workshop 3 - $ 100
Workshop 4 - $ 100
Cancellation policy:
Workshop deposits and payments are fully refundable if notification is given by November 15th. After that date, payments will be returned minus a $150 withdrawal fee.
Notes:
There is a minimum number of participants needed to run the workshop.
A participant must fully attend all hours of a workshop in order to receive a verification certificate of completion. Some exceptions allowed.
Special Offer for previous participants:
Participants in previous Core or Elective Divorce Trainings with Susan Terry may repeat parts or all of trainings for a discounted price provided there is room in the training group. Contact Susan Terry sterry@highreachfarm.com
For questions re the training: Contact Susan Terry, sterryvt@gmail.com or 802-748-3512
For questions re registration: Contact Susannah Eriksson, eriksson@champlain.edu, 802-865-5441
To register: https://mediation.catalog.instructure.com/courses/divorce-mediation-training