FMI 2022 at a Glance
Friday afternoon Workshop:
Dr. Constance Ahrons’ Legacy and Contributions to Divorce Mediation
Dr. Debra Dupree and Terri Breer will present an informative workshop that will highlight the career of Dr. Constance Ahrons, author of The Good Divorce: Keeping Your Family Together When Your Marriage Comes Apart and We’re Still Family: What Grown Children Have to Say About Their Parents’ Divorce. Topics will include Dr. Ahrons’ coining of the term “Binuclear Family”, her “kinship model” of divorce, and her co-parenting typology that identifies the five co-parenting styles. Her groundbreaking longitudinal research over 20 years and the impact of her findings will be featured. Dr. Ahrons led the way in removing the stigma of divorce and her efforts at normalizing divorce have inspired divorce professionals since the publication of The Good Divorce in 1994. Participants in this workshop will learn how to use her innovative divorce strategies and parenting solutions in their mediation practices.
Forrest “Woody” Mosten SCMA Star Award for Excellence and Innovation in Family Mediation
Dr. Constance Ahrons will posthumously receive the Forrest “Woody” Mosten SCMA Star Award for Excellence and Innovation in Family Mediation
Friday Night Reception and Mixer
Following the award ceremony will be the traditional Friday Night Reception & Mixer on the Verbena Terrace at the Hyatt Regency Resort.
Saturday Keynote Speaker
Chip Rose, mediator, author, speaker, recipient of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Saturday Workshops
This year the FMI will offer a Skill Building Track consisting of three Workshops. Two workshops will be presented by Shawn Weber and the Family Resolution Institute, including The Negotiation Cycle and The Big Rocks: Preparing Your Clients for Settlement. The third Skill Building Workshop will be a Parenting Workshop presented by Christina McGhee, author of Parenting Apart: How Separated and Divorced Parents can Raise Happy and Secure Kids and Kelly Myers.
Three Additional Workshops
Stephanie Blondell, Associate Professor and Associate Director at Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution will present an ethics workshop on Legal Advice, Legal Information, and Legal Fiction, Woody Mosten and Susan Guthrie’s workshop will discuss Innovative Ways to Integrate Support Professionals in Mediation, and Terri Breer, Esq. and Laura McGee will discuss the tough task of assessing new and evolving types of marital property, in their workshop, Emerging Asset Classes: Cryptocurrencies, Digital Assets and Social Media Influence.
Dine-Around
On Saturday night you will have the opportunity to “dine-around” with fellow attendees at one of the local restaurants. Restaurant choices and sign ups will be available on this website and when you check in at FMI.
Three Plenary Programs
The morning plenary will feature Sunday Keynote Speaker, Louise Phipps Senft, author of best-selling book, Being Rational: The Seven Ways to Quality Interaction & Lasting Change
We will screen Ellen Bruno’s documentary film, Split Up – The Teen Years, her follow up film to Split -Divorce Through Kids’ Eyes. Her new film features the original Split kids who are now older, wiser and have much wisdom and life experience to share with other young people, parents, and professionals.
The Closing Plenary by Fern Tolkas Salka, a practicing family law attorney for 50 years, and leader in the mediation and collaborative law community will include a look back on the history of divorce and the outlook for the future of divorce practice. This closing session will be your opportunity to reassess the way you work and will re-energize your practice.