SLR 10-12.016: Mediation where a Power of Imbalance Exists

(1) Where there is a restraining order between the parties, a history of domestic violence or abuse, an extreme imbalance in the power relationship between the parties or other reason to believe that mediation may be inappropriate, a party may contact the assigned mediator to request that the parties meet with the mediator separately, or to request the presence of a support person during mediation. A mediator may exclude a support person from a session if the support person disrupts the process of mediation. (2) The mediator may arrange separate sessions, require remote or terminate mediation at any time if the mediator believes that issues of violence, abuse, threatening behavior, manipulation or power imbalance make further mediation inappropriate. In any remote mediation, both parties will participate remotely.