Hamilton County opens Dispute Resolution Center.

Hamilton County opens Dispute Resolution Center.

The Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court is changing the way residents’ resolve disputes with the newly formed Dispute Resolution Center.

Located at the court in downtown Cincinnati, the Dispute Resolution Center will help families going through a divorce or a legal separation resolve conflicts while saving the court time and money.

Court Administrator Lisa Gorrasi said the court repurposed three courtrooms and a magistrate’s office to form the center, which is composed of two dispute rooms, a settlement conference room, and an attorney conference room.

“Family law disputes that result in protracted and contentious litigation have long standing ill effects for all involved, especially the children,” Gorrasi said. “The Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations is committed to utilizing dispute resolution techniques and practices to reduce this negative impact on the families that we serve.  Our Dispute Resolution Center will allow us to incorporate an additional service to offer as families transition through our court and as they continue their lives as co-parents of their children.”

Gorrasi said the court started working to implement the center last year and will incorporate Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) into the Dispute Resolution Center by late summer if the court receives additional funding to assist in the program.

ENE is a type of alternative dispute resolution that will allow parents and their attorneys to meet to discuss possible financial and custody solutions without having to go before a judge.

Eventually, Gorrasi said, the court would like to move into property disputes once the program is perfected.