After helping children and families through the divorce process in therapy for more than thirty years, Joy has transitioned to providing Divorce and Custody Mediation as her primary focus. Joy has mediated divorce and custody arrangements since 1998 when she became Certified as a Family Mediator by the Supreme Court of South Carolina. Over the years, she has become respected enough in the legal community that she was asked to train new mediators by the South Carolina Bar Association in 2018 and continues in that role currently.
Joy likes Mediation because it is empowering and effective. It gives couples the ability to decide together how they want to structure their divorce, including care of children, visitation schedules, division of property, and ongoing financial support arrangements. It is collaborative, allowing both parties to review their financial assets, debts and incomes, and make the best decisions for all involved.
Joy’s method of Mediation is informal, allowing couples to talk in a relaxed setting with a knowledgeable mediator; no one will tell them what they can and cannot discuss. Joy strives for a win-win situation. She uses her skills to make Mediation solution-oriented, because the goal is to find a settlement that is mutually acceptable to both parties as well as beneficial to any children involved.
Joy has been mediating divorce and child custody arrangements for over twenty years. In addition to having experience in settling alimony and property division she specializes in helping parents devise customized parenting plans based on the ages and special needs of their children. Joy most often works with couples who don’t have attorneys or don’t want to involve them during the mediation process. She is focused on people and their wishes and needs first, and the structure of the legal system second.
Whether you are divorcing or never married, have children together or not, Joy can help you dissolve your relationship with dignity and reasonableness so you can move on to live your best life.
JOY’S MEDIATION CREDENTIALS
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S.C. Supreme-Court Approved Mediator since 1998. Completed 40-hour training program in family law, South Carolina state law, and mediation strategies
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Trainer for Family Court Mediation Program sponsored by the South Carolina Bar Association, the only Supreme-Court approved training program in the state. Participating since 2016. On Team of Lead Trainers since 2018
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Program Director for the “Families in Transition” program of Compass of Carolina, 1996-1999. Conducted parent trainings and support groups for children of divorcing families
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Founding Member, Board of Directors, Upstate Mediation Network
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Board of Directors, Upstate Mediation Center, past member
CONDUCTED PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN MEDIATION AND PARENTING PLANS FOR:
- Upstate Mediation Network, Upstate attorney training, 2001.
- S.C. Society for Clinical Social Work
- American Mental Health Counselors Association, 2008
- NASW (National Association of Social Work), Spring Symposium, South Carolina, 2010.
- S.C. Council for Conflict Resolution
- Supreme-Court Approved Training for New Mediators, SC, 2017
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Upstate Mediation Center, 2017
Contact email joy@joybennett.org
Appointment Request
If you would like to schedule an appointment with Joy Bennett, click here to fill out the Appointment Request form.