Bill > HB652

This bill abolishes the family division of the circuit court, creating a new Office of Family Mediation within the judicial branch to handle cases such as divorce, child custody, and support disputes, with any unresolved issues to be handled by the superior court. The bill also reassigns the jurisdiction of the former family division to the probate and district divisions of the circuit court, and establishes that the Office of Family Mediation will be administered by the board of family mediator certification, with its funding coming from the Mediation and Arbitration Fund, which will now also include funds collected by the new office. The bill also makes changes to the qualifications and requirements for family mediators, and updates various statutes to reflect the elimination of the family division and the creation of the new mediation office, with an effective date of January 1, 2026.

Justice

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=302&inflect=2