Family Financial Settlement (FFS) Mediator Training
Live in In-Person in Asheville, NC
Spring 2026 Dates – June 1 to 5
- 40-hour course:
- June 1 to 5, 2026
- 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily
- $2665*
- 16-hour supplement:
- June 1 and 2, 2026
- 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily
- $1171*
*Discounted rates available for public interest lawyers and licensed mental health professionals.
The course includes 24 hours of CLE Credit – 2 full years of CLE (4 ethics hours, 1 hour professional wellbeing, 1 hour technology)
For those interested in becoming certified to mediate Family Financial Settlement Cases. Approved by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission
Join The Mediation Center’s training team for an in-person Family Financial Settlment (FFS) training. The training will fulfill the 40-hour training requirement for the NC Dispute Resolution Commission’s FFS certification process.
CLE
The weeklong training includes 24 hours of NC CLE credit. This is two full years of CLE: 4 hours of ethics/professional responsibility, one hour of technology, and one hour of professional well-being credit.
Please review the following before registering:
Course Pre-Requisites
- You must complete 12 hours of basic family law education unless you qualify for a waiver. Review the requirements here.
- If you are not an attorney, you must complete 6 hours of DRC-approved training on North Carolina legal terminology, court structure, and civil procedure.
- If you are an attorney not licensed in NC, you must complete a self-study of North Carolina legal terminology, court structure, and civil procedure unless you are a licensed attorney.
Who May Register
(1) Those meeting the threshold requirements of the NC Dispute Resolution Commission for FFS Certification:
- Attorneys with at least five years of legal practice experience.
- Non-Attorneys who are either: a family mediator advanced practitioner member of the Association for Conflict Resolution, and hold a 4-year degree from an accredited college or university. -OR- an N.C. licensed member of one of the professions listed in FFS Rule 8.(a)(2)(b)(1-7) (generally, licensed mental health professionals and accountants).
If you are unsure if your education and experience satisfy the threshold requirements, please contact the NC Dispute Resolution Commission office about an FFS Pre-certification Assessment Packet.
and
(2) Those who do not meet threshold requirements, do not intend to seek certification, and have obtained prior approval from Mediation Center staff. Please contact Laura Jeffords at laurahj@mediatewnc.org before registering.
The Path to FFS Certification
Completion of the training is only one step toward certification by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission as an FFS mediator. Learn more here.
The 16-Hour Supplement
The first two days of the training – Monday and Tuesday – are approved by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission as the FFS 16-Hour Supplemental Training. You may qualify to meet the MSC training requirement with only the 16-hour supplement if one of the following applies to you:
- You are currently a certified North Carolina MSC mediator wanting to become an FFS mediator (no DRC pre-approval required)
- You are a lawyer who previously completed another state’s 40-hour FFS training and would like approval in NC (DRC pre-approval letter required).
- You were previously certified as a North Carolina FFS mediator, and your certification has lapsed by more than three, but less than seven, years (no DRC pre-approval required)
Contact the NC DRC to learn more about mediator certification requirements and approval processes.
Questions?
We are more than happy to answer questions about the training and to help you find answers about FFS certification. E-mail Mediation Center Executive Director Laura Jeffords at laurahj@mediatewnc.org or call her direct line at 828.445.9001.
All proceeds benefit The Mediation Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides community mediation and family visitation services in Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk counties.
Family Financial Settlement (FFS) Mediator Training
Live in In-Person in Asheville, NC
Spring 2026 Dates – June 1 to 5
*Discounted rates available for public interest lawyers and licensed mental health professionals.
The course includes 24 hours of CLE Credit – 2 full years of CLE (4 ethics hours, 1 hour professional wellbeing, 1 hour technology)
For those interested in becoming certified to mediate Family Financial Settlement Cases. Approved by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission
Join The Mediation Center’s training team for an in-person Family Financial Settlment (FFS) training. The training will fulfill the 40-hour training requirement for the NC Dispute Resolution Commission’s FFS certification process.
CLE
The weeklong training includes 24 hours of NC CLE credit. This is two full years of CLE: 4 hours of ethics/professional responsibility, one hour of technology, and one hour of professional well-being credit.
Please review the following before registering:
Course Pre-Requisites
Who May Register
(1) Those meeting the threshold requirements of the NC Dispute Resolution Commission for FFS Certification:
If you are unsure if your education and experience satisfy the threshold requirements, please contact the NC Dispute Resolution Commission office about an FFS Pre-certification Assessment Packet.
and
(2) Those who do not meet threshold requirements, do not intend to seek certification, and have obtained prior approval from Mediation Center staff. Please contact Laura Jeffords at laurahj@mediatewnc.org before registering.
The Path to FFS Certification
Completion of the training is only one step toward certification by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission as an FFS mediator. Learn more here.
The 16-Hour Supplement
The first two days of the training – Monday and Tuesday – are approved by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission as the FFS 16-Hour Supplemental Training. You may qualify to meet the MSC training requirement with only the 16-hour supplement if one of the following applies to you:
Contact the NC DRC to learn more about mediator certification requirements and approval processes.
Questions?
We are more than happy to answer questions about the training and to help you find answers about FFS certification. E-mail Mediation Center Executive Director Laura Jeffords at laurahj@mediatewnc.org or call her direct line at 828.445.9001.
All proceeds benefit The Mediation Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides community mediation and family visitation services in Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk counties.