CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC)/MEDIATION QUESTIONNAIRE

CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC)/MEDIATION QUESTIONNAIRE

Rule 5.210 of the California Rules of Court requires that the Court provide an orientation to inform the parents about the mediation process, the mediator's role, how to address children's developmental needs, limitations on confidentiality, and other child custody issues. The Lassen Superior Court complies with this requirement by offering an online orientation and Family Court Services (FCS) information through our website.

Visit www.Lassen.Courts.CA.gov/mediation-orientation and www.Lassen.Courts.CA.gov/FCS to access the online orientation and information.

You must complete the online orientation and return the certificates of completion to the court as directed before attending CCRC.

By signing below, I agree to complete the orientation before my scheduled CCRC and further agree to the following:

STIPULATION TO PLACE MATTER ON FAMILY LAW CALENDAR

🗹 Parties are voluntarily attending Child Custody Recommending Counseling (CCRC). By signing below, I stipulate that the matter will be placed on the Family Law Calendar for the Court to make appropriate orders on any unresolved issues when parties do not reach a full agreement. I request a court date set two to four weeks after our CCRC session, typically on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., and a notice of the court date via email or mail. I understand that failure to reach an agreement will result in the mediator's recommendation on unresolved topics.

TIMELY ATTENDANCE, CANCELLATION AND FAILURE TO APPEAR FOR APPOINTMENT

🗹 In accordance with Local Rules of Court, Rule 12.1(M), I acknowledge that if I fail to attend the Child Custody Recommending Counseling (CCRC) or Mediation appointment as set by the court, a sanction of $100.00 may be imposed on me.

🗹 I additionally acknowledge and agree that if an agreement is reached prior to the scheduled appointment, both I and the other party must contact Family Court Services to cancel the appointment and advise that an agreement has been reached no less than 48 hours before the scheduled appointment. Failure to notify the Court as directed may result in a sanction of $100.00 being imposed on each party.

🗹 If an exigent circumstance arises preventing you from attending the scheduled appointment, you must contact Family Court Services and the other parent no later than 4:00 PM the day before the scheduled appointment providing an explanation and requesting to reschedule. Failure to comply may result in sanctions.

🗹 If an exigent circumstance arises preventing you from attending the scheduled appointment, you must contact Family Court Services and the other parent no later than 4:00 PM the day before the scheduled appointment providing an explanation and requesting to reschedule. Failure to comply may result in sanctions.

What is said in Child Custody Recommending Counseling is confidential under the law. Persons appearing by telephone or videoconference must follow these rules:

1. Please allow up to four hours to participate in your session.

2. You may not record any part of the conversation, use a speakerphone, allow anyone to be in the room with you, or use a cell phone in public. You may not let anyone listen to any part of your session on an extension phone line.

3. Children are not allowed to participate in the session. The children may not be in the room with you, listening in, or able to hear the conversation under any circumstances. It is harmful to children to see their parents upset, hear damaging information about their other parent, or hear parenting time negotiation.

4. You must ensure that you have supervision for any child aged seven or younger for the duration of the session. Another responsible adult or a family member/sibling aged 12 or older may supervise the children.

5. A parent attending by telephone or video call must be in an environment that is quiet, private, uninterrupted, and distraction-free location. Please avoid public environments, participation while driving, working, providing childcare, or other tasks.

6. A parent attending CCRC by telephone or video call must have the ability to open a PDF document using Adobe Reader, Google Docs, or another document-reading solution on their electronic device during the telephone session.

7. A parent attending by telephone or video call must sign and return any document(s) received within 30 minutes of receipt of the document(s). Parents will digitally sign Agreements reached in CCRC via DocuSign or other platform utilized by the Court. Completed Agreements will be returned to the parties via email.

8. The court will consider any breaking or disregard of these rules a failure to cooperate with the process, which could result in penalties and delay of resolution of your court case.

9. The Child Custody Recommending Counselor will terminate any conference call or video call session if he or she feels a parent is breaking these rules and will report the reason to the court in a memo. Failure to cooperate with these rules of confidentiality can result in sanctions.

I wish to attend CCRC by telephone or video conference. I have read, and I understand the above rules, and I agree to abide by them.

To protect the safety of court customers, Family Court Services (FCS) staff must make reasonable efforts to keep residential addresses, work addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses confidential, CA Rule of Court 5.215 (g)(3). Therefore, precautions are taken in all cases and on all Family Court Services documents. 

In an age of electronic information and communication, most parents use text messages and email to communicate with each other before and after separation.  After separation, it is often the primary means of co-parent communication.  Sometimes, a parent no longer wants the other parent to know their cell phone number or email address.

Family Court Services wants to honor and protect your privacy; please answer all of the following questions.        

You may permit Family Court Services to communicate with you and the other parent by email and text message.  There are risks with these types of communication that include, but are not limited to, the following possibilities:

1. Emails and text messages can be circulated, forwarded, stored electronically and on paper, and broadcast to unintended recipients.
2. Email and text senders can easily misaddress an email or text and send the information to an undesired recipient.
3. Backup copies of emails and texts may exist even after the sender or the recipient has deleted their copy.
4. Employers and online services have a right to inspect emails sent through their company systems.
5. Emails and texts can be intercepted, altered, forwarded, or used without authorization or detection.
6. Emails and texts may not be secure, and therefore a third party may breach the confidentiality of such communications.

The court will use reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of all communications via text and email.  However, it is impossible to guarantee the protection and privacy of communications that occur with these methods, and the court will not be liable for such disclosures.  

Upon your written consent, Family Court Services will send text messages and emails to you and the other parent in a group format (the other parent included in all text messages and emails) to schedule CCRC appointments and send CCRC documents.  If you authorize this electronic communication, you must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. You must add the other parent to all of your email and text communication with Family Court Services.  For email correspondence, you may request blind Ccs for privacy.  
2. You must not use text or email communications with Family Court Services to contact the mediator unilaterally (ex parte communication) nor attempt to discuss issues, case details, or make proposals to the other parent.  FCS will not respond to these types of communication.

You do not have to consent to communicate via text or email that includes the other parent.  You may opt to communicate via phone call or U.S. mail. 

I acknowledge that I have read and fully understand this consent form.  I recognize that technology is ever-evolving and that electronic communications cannot be fully protected from unauthorized interception.