Melissa N. Avila
Rate as posted by Los Angeles County Superior Court: $750/hr
Official roster: U.S. District Court, Central District of California · verified 2026-10-07
Divorce mediation attorneys in Santa Barbara County, CA
1 divorce mediation attorneys in Santa Barbara County: certified family mediators whose official California roster record shows an attorney background. They act as neutrals and don't represent either side. Every listing shows the official roster it comes from and the date we last checked it. For a court-ordered case, your court may require a mediator from its own list.[1–4]
Listings last checked against the official rosters Oct 19, 2026.
How this list is built: these are certified family mediators whose official California roster record lists an attorney or in-state Bar member background. In mediation they work as neutrals: a mediator doesn’t represent or advise either side, even if they’re a lawyer. If you want legal advice about your own case, hire your own attorney. Do I need a lawyer for divorce mediation?
How does mediation work in Santa Barbara County?
Santa Barbara County's trial court is the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara.[5] Its civil ADR program is CADRe, a 'multi-door courthouse' model that grew from the court's ADR Programs Committee starting in 1996, with panel rosters for mediation, binding arbitration and early neutral evaluation.[6] Cases worth up to $50,000 may be sent to Limited Mediation through CADRe at no or reduced cost, and parties then contact the CADRe office first so it can assign a mediator.[6] Listed mediators come from the CADRe roster and the federal Central District panel.[2][4]
Fact-checked Oct 7, 2026 against the official sources numbered above (listed under Sources). Court programs change; confirm with the clerk.
Open to meeting by video? Mediators who work online with California clients · Online mediators
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Only a few listed mediators have Santa Barbara County as their home county. Many also work in neighboring counties or meet online.
Mediators who work online with California clients ↓ · All California mediators
Mediators who work online with California clients
No mediator from another state has told us they work online with California clients in this practice area yet. Local mediators may also offer video sessions; ask when you contact them.
Court-ordered case? Courts may require a mediator from their own approved list for court-ordered cases. Check your court’s rules, or see how mediation works in California.
Court-connected mediation in California: California superior courts that keep a civil mediator list set their own qualifications; parties may agree on a mediator not on the list. Court-connected child custody mediators have statewide training requirements.
Private mediation in California: No state license for private mediators was found in the sources reviewed. California's out-of-state attorney rule (rule 9.43) covers arbitration only; no rule on out-of-state or online mediators was found.
Sources: Cal. Rules of Court, rule 10.781 - Court-related ADR neutrals · Cal. Rules of Court, rule 5.210 - Court-connected child custody mediation · Cal. Rules of Court, rule 5.215 - Domestic violence protocol for Family Court Services · Cal. Rules of Court, rule 9.43 - Out-of-state attorney arbitration counsel · partly verified
All mediators who work online with California clients · Search online mediators for California · Online mediators in every state · Online divorce mediation
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Sources
Official court and government sources only, each with the date we last checked it. Every profile also links its own roster entry.
- Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles – Mediation Volunteer Panel (MVP) mediator profiles↩
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara – CADRe (Court-Administered Dispute Resolution) panel roster↩
- Superior Court of California, County of Ventura – Court Approved Mediators↩
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California – List of Panel Mediators↩
- Judicial Branch of California – Superior Courts↩
- Santa Barbara Superior Court – CADRe↩