Local Rule LR3-402. Safe exchange and supervised visitation program.

[Statewide Rule 1-125 NMRA and related Statute NMSA 1978, § 40-12-5.1] A. Establishment of program. Under the Domestic Relations Mediation Act, the Third Judicial District Court has elected to establish a safe exchange and supervised visitation program to assist the court, parents, their children, and other interested parties in determining the best interests of children involved in domestic relations and domestic violence cases referred by the district court. The district court, in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the Courts, has procured one or more providers by means of a request for proposals and entered into one or more contracts to deliver the services within the district. B. Sliding fee scale. In accordance with the Domestic Relations Mediation Act, the costs of the safe exchange and supervised visitation program shall be paid by parents receiving services through the program under a sliding fee scale approved by the New Mexico Supreme Court. All safe exchange and supervised visitation fees shall be paid by parents to the district court’s contractor who shall serve as fiscal agent of the district court for the receipt of the sliding scale fees. These funds are to be used as part of the contractor’s court-approved program budget, with quarterly accounting reports submitted to the district court. Any funds in excess of the program budget as approved by the district court are to be remitted by contractor’s check, cash, money order, or certified check to the Court Executive Officer or designee to be credited to the domestic relations mediation fund at the end of the fiscal year.