Rule DR-3. Mediation in Family Court Cases

A. Matters Subject to Mediation. All family law cases which involve a controversy over legal decision making or parenting time of minor children shall be subject to mediation in accordance with Rule 68(c) of the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure. This rule does not apply to enforcement actions. B. Waiver. A party may request a waiver of this provision by making a request to the court and, upon a finding of good cause, the court may waive the requirement for mediation. C. Jurisdiction. A family law case filed in the superior court remains under the jurisdiction of this court in all phases of the proceedings, including mediation conducted pursuant to this rule. 1. Any agreement of the parties reached as a result of mediation must be presented to the court, and the court shall retain final authority to accept, modify, or reject the agreement. 2. In order to preserve and promote the integrity of mediation as a dispute-resolution technique, the court will endeavor to include all reasonable agreements reached by the parties in formulating its order in the case.