Tools for Washington, D.C. Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Washington, D.C. families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

If you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator for families in Washington, D.C., you already know the pattern: two parents, one child, and a record of what happened that lives in two different phones. FamilyCourtHelp.com gives the parents you work with one organized place for co-parent messages, schedules, parenting plans, expenses, and records, so the time they spend with you, and in front of the D.C. Superior Court, Family Court, goes to the children instead of the screenshots.

Area covered: The District of Columbia.

Court for custody cases: D.C. Superior Court, Family Court.

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge (Multi-Door Family Mediation Program).

Parenting class: Required statewide (Program for Agreement and Cooperation in Contested Custody Cases).

State family law: DC Code Division II - Family Law.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in Washington, D.C.

In the District of Columbia, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

Nothing here opens a family's account to you on its own. When a parent wants you in, they send a single-use invitation into the co-parent conversation; you join with your own free account, see the full thread and the shared calendar's change requests, and can post. They can also share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on.

For therapists and counselors in Washington, D.C.

Court-involved therapists, reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Washington, D.C. get no seat in the conversation and no access to accounts. Parents keep their own time-stamped record and decide what to show you, which keeps your role clear. For co-parenting work, the Tone Meter in the free messenger shows a parent how a message will land and offers a calmer version before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Washington, D.C.

In the District of Columbia, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. The court program is the Multi-Door Family Mediation Program. The details are in the FAQ below.

Parents can bring you in before the first meeting in Washington, D.C.: a single-use link adds you to the co-parent conversation, and a shared parenting plan lets you read the draft and comment on it. After the session, what was agreed stays in writing in the thread, and schedule changes run through the shared calendar's request and approval record.

Family court programs in Washington, D.C.

Custody cases in Washington, D.C. are heard in the D.C. Superior Court, Family Court. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division, Family Mediation: The court's Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division runs free family mediation for custody, visitation, support and divorce issues, for walk-in parents and cases referred by a judge. A same-day program lets judges send eligible parents to mediation right after their first hearing.

Program for Agreement and Cooperation in Contested Custody Cases (PAC): PAC is a court class for parents early in a contested custody case. It explains the court process and encourages parents to work out custody by agreement.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Washington, D.C., the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Washington, D.C.: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

District of Columbia: Family Court Self-Help Center, (202) 879-0096. Free walk-in and call-in help with divorce, custody, visitation and child support for people without a lawyer.

District of Columbia legal aid: Neighborhood Legal Services Program of the District of Columbia, (202) 832-6577.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Washington, D.C.?

The Family Court of the D.C. Superior Court handles divorce, custody, adoption and related family cases for the whole District.

Is there a court mediation program in Washington, D.C.?

Yes. Families with a case in the local court can use the Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division, Family Mediation. What it offers, and the official link, are in the family court programs section above.

Where can parents in Washington, D.C. get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Family Court Self-Help Center. Free legal aid: Neighborhood Legal Services Program of the District of Columbia. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Washington, D.C.?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session. Families with a case in the local court can ask about the Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division, Family Mediation.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Washington, D.C. custody case?

In a D.C. custody case, the court can appoint a lawyer called a guardian ad litem to represent the child's best interest. You may also see "attorney for the child". This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in District of Columbia?

The court's Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division offers free family mediation for custody, visitation, child support and divorce issues. At the start of a case, parents are usually referred to a mediator, and each parent first completes a required intake interview.

Do parents in District of Columbia have to take a parenting class?

At the start of a contested custody case, parents are referred to the PAC program. The class explains the court process and encourages parents to agree on custody instead of having a judge decide.