Works online nationwide
Beth Carrier
Court-certified in: Idaho (verified) · Idaho Supreme Court, 2026-10-07
Serves clients: in person in Idaho · online nationwide (her statement)
Online custody mediation
Online custody mediation lets parents work out a parenting plan by video or phone, each from their own location, with a neutral mediator guiding the conversation. It covers the same ground as meeting in person: where the children live, the schedule, holidays and how decisions get made.
General information, not legal advice. Rules differ by state and court: see how mediation works in your state.
Mediators who offer online custody mediation (1)
Mediators on official rosters who say they work with clients online and handle custody and parenting cases. Where they work online is their own statement, not a certification. Online listings are new, so this list is short for now.
Want a shortlist? Get matched with a mediator who works online
Answer a few short questions. We send your request to mediators who can receive it and handle cases like yours, and they contact you. Free, and you’re never obligated.
What is online custody mediation?
Online custody mediation is mediation about parenting held by video or phone. A neutral mediator helps parents work out a parenting plan, such as where the children live, the schedule, holidays and how decisions get made. The mediator doesn't decide for you. In a court case, a judge usually reviews the plan before it becomes an order.
How child custody mediation works · How online mediation works
Can we make a parenting plan by video?
Yes. The work is the same as in person. The mediator can share a draft plan on screen, go through each part of the schedule with you, and meet with each parent separately in a breakout room when that helps. Have calendars, school schedules and work hours ready so you can test ideas against real dates.
Does the court decide whether custody mediation can be online?
In a court case, often yes. Some courts send parents to mediation before a custody hearing, and courts set their own rules about whether sessions can be held by video. Read your court order or notice, ask the court or the mediator if it is silent, and check your state's page for how mediation works there.
Court-ordered mediation · Mediation by state · Is mediation required in my case?
What if there has been domestic violence?
Tell the mediator and, in a court case, the court before any session. Courts may be able to excuse or change mediation when there has been abuse. Meeting online lets parents stay in separate places, but video doesn't make an unsafe situation safe. If you're in danger, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
How do I prepare for online custody mediation?
Write down the schedule you'd propose, including school days, holidays and summers, and the issues that matter most to you. Gather work schedules and any court papers. Pick a private room where the children can't overhear, test your video link, and keep notes on proposals you want to think over before agreeing.
Can the custody mediator be in another state?
For private mediation, often yes, if the mediator works with clients in your state. A court that orders custody mediation may require a mediator from its own approved list or its own program. Each listing here shows the state rosters a mediator is on, separately from where they say they work online.
Find family mediators by state
Each state page lists mediators on that state’s official rosters first, then mediators from other states who say they work online with its clients.
Alabama561 on Alabama rostersAlaska39 on Alaska rostersArizona12 on Arizona rostersArkansas107 on Arkansas rostersCalifornia115 on California rostersColorado51 on Colorado rostersConnecticut28 on Connecticut rostersDelaware49 on Delaware rostersDistrict of Columbia31 on District of Columbia rostersFlorida2,221 on Florida rostersHawaii51 on Hawaii rostersIdaho96 on Idaho rostersIllinois386 on Illinois rostersIndiana705 on Indiana rostersIowa321 on Iowa rostersKansas139 on Kansas rostersLouisiana72 on Louisiana rostersMaine58 on Maine rostersMaryland326 on Maryland rostersMassachusetts20 on Massachusetts rostersMichigan95 on Michigan rostersMinnesota475 on Minnesota rostersMissouri66 on Missouri rostersMontana16 on Montana rostersNebraska166 on Nebraska rostersNevada118 on Nevada rostersNew Hampshire37 on New Hampshire rostersNew Jersey718 on New Jersey rostersNorth Carolina4 on North Carolina rostersNorth Dakota50 on North Dakota rostersOhio92 on Ohio rostersOklahoma12 on Oklahoma rostersOregon20 on Oregon rostersPennsylvania86 on Pennsylvania rostersSouth Carolina345 on South Carolina rostersSouth Dakota52 on South Dakota rostersTennessee631 on Tennessee rostersTexas270 on Texas rostersUtah114 on Utah rostersVermont8 on Vermont rostersVirginia270 on Virginia rostersWashington56 on Washington rostersWisconsin8 on Wisconsin rosters