Stephen S. Stone, LCSW Teléfono: 505-455-8234 Correo electrónico: sfedsxs@nmcourts.gov

Monica Romero
Phone: 505-455-8232
Email: sfedmxr@nmcourts.gov

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Dominic Apodaca
Phone: 505-455-8231
Email: sfeddja@nmcourts.gov

Gary Lombardo, LPCC
Phone: 505-455-8238
Email: sfedgtl@nmcourts.gov

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Nilu Amirazimi, LAMFT
Phone: 505-455-8237
Email: sfednxa@nmcourts.gov

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Francisca Garcia-Quintana, LMSW
Phone: 505-455-8242
Email: sfedfgq@nmcourts.gov

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Melissa Loson, LCSW
Phone: 505-455-8236
Email: sfedmbl@nmcourts.gov

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Juliana Trotta, LMSW
Phone: 505-455-8235
Email: sfedjmt@nmcourts.gov

When parties with minor children file a divorce, custody, visitation, or paternity case or reopen a case on custody/visitation issues, they are directed to go to an ISCS. A presentation is made covering the needs of children whose parents live in separate households, parental behaviors which put children in the middle of their conflicts, a brief review of the custody law in New Mexico, sharing responsibility for parenting, and the Court process, including the procedures of FCS. Parties have the opportunity to participate, to ask questions, and to schedule Mediation appointments. The ISCS is available to individuals before opening a case and also after the case has been closed. Attorneys and therapists may send their clients prior to the filing of a case if they are anticipating opening a divorce, paternity/custody, or grandparent visitation case. Individual participants do not need to register in advance to attend. Children are not permitted to attend this session.  It is held the first and third Tuesday of each month from 8:45 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. at the Santa Fe Judicial Complex and is open to the public.

After the parties have attended the ISCS, an appointment for Mediation may be scheduled. Mediation is court-ordered if: A) a case has been filed involving custody and/or time-sharing issues of children under the age of eighteen and B) a Custody Plan has not been filed within thirty days of attending the ISCS. Parties may participate in Mediation before or after a case has been filed or after a case has been closed by the Court if both parties agree to do so. Mediation is set up for the purpose of having the parties work out their own custody/time-sharing arrangement with the assistance of a trained Mediator. The Mediator does not tell the parties what to do but may present options, facilitate communication and help the parties to focus on the needs of their children. Mediation sessions are confidential and neither party nor the Mediator may divulge any information discussed during the sessions. Exceptions to confidentiality include suspected child abuse or threats against the safety of another individual.  Sometimes a Mediation session is scheduled at a future date to review any temporary agreements made by the parties during previous Mediation sessions. Generally, only the two parties named in the case attend the Mediation session.

In certain cases, Mediation may not be appropriate. Cases involving domestic violence and/or child abuse are examples of some types of cases which may not be appropriate for Mediation.

When Mediation is successful, the agreement is written up by the Mediator and sent to both the parties and their attorneys. If the agreement is not returned with signatures within two weeks following its receipt, another Mediation session or a Priority Consultation is scheduled. Mediation sessions are scheduled Monday through Friday between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. An individual fee is charged for each Mediation session that is based on a sliding scale according to each party’s income.

When the parties are unable to arrive at an agreement about their children in Mediation or when the Court Mediation is not indicated, that an immediate plan for a PC is ordered. If the parties have already participated in Mediation, the Priority Consultant will not be the same person who conducted the Mediation.

The Priority Consultant interviews each parent separately and makes recommendations which are sent to the parties and their attorneys and filed with the Court. Either party may object to the recommendations during an eleven-day objection period, in which case a hearing maybe set and the Court decides if the recommendations will be adopted or modified in any way. If neither party objects, the recommendations are adopted by the Court as an order.

PC’s are confidential to third parties outside of the Court. Many PC’s involve significant co-parenting conflicts and involve recommendations for professional services designed to assist the parents and children, such as co-parenting classes, therapy, substance abuse counseling and/or testing, and supervised visitations and/or exchanges. The Priority Consultant may communicate with the service providers to whom the parties and children have been referred; parties typically sign releases of information to facilitate this communication.

Priority Consultations are scheduled Monday through Friday between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and last from three to four hours. An individual fee is charged for each Priority Consultation that is based on a sliding scale according to each party’s income.

In certain court-ordered cases it is necessary for FCS to obtain more information than is available to the Priority Consultant and an AC may be conducted. This category may include cases entailing relocations or other complex cases. An AC may be recommended by the Priority Consultant, the Mediator, or ordered directly by the Court. The Advisory Consultant jointly and individually interviews the parents, interviews the children and any other persons living in the home, and conducts observations of the children with each parent. Generally, only one session is held, lasting up to eight hours.

The parents are requested to sign releases of information so that additional information may be obtained from teachers, counselors, child-care providers, physicians, or other professionals. Parties may submit affidavits from other persons who have information pertinent to the issues raised in the consultation. Police reports, DMV reports and other reports may be requested. As part of the AC process, the consultant may request that one or both parents undergo substance abuse assessments and/or testing or that psychological testing be conducted.

After the Advisory Consultant has gathered the information necessary to complete recommendations, an AC report will be written. This report includes background and current information of the parties, the issues and concerns of each parent, an assessment of the parties and their children, and recommendations regarding specific outcomes. If the case proceeds to Court, the AC report may be introduced into evidence and the consultant may be called to testify in Court proceedings. An individual fee is charged for Advisory Consultation that is based on a sliding scale according to each party’s income.