Proposal would move family cases and offer voluntary mediation

The proposal would end the circuit court family division and assign many of its cases to superior court. The listed superior court cases include divorce, custody, support, and paternity disputes, as well as juvenile delinquency, child abuse and neglect, children in need of services, and domestic violence cases. The circuit court would keep concurrent authority to issue certain temporary orders in juvenile, child protection, children-in-need-of-services, and domestic violence cases. The proposal sets January 1, 2026, as its effective date.

The proposal would establish an Office of Family Mediation to offer mediation in listed family cases. The listed cases include divorce, custody, support, parental time, grandparental time, and paternity disputes, including certain cases involving children of unmarried parents. Every party must choose to use the office's services; otherwise, the case goes to superior court. If mediation resolves only some issues, the unresolved issues go to superior court. Mediators cannot impose a decision, and any settlement must be voluntary. The proposal sets January 1, 2026, as its effective date.

The proposal would assign certain adoption, minor guardianship, and parental-rights termination cases to probate judges. The listed cases include adoptions connected to abuse or neglect, private, agency, and international adoptions, termination of parental rights, and guardianship of a minor's person or both person and estate. The proposal sets January 1, 2026, as its effective date.