What do I do if my spouse didn't go to the mediation orientation?

You may need to file a motion to get back into Court to tell the Judge what is happening.

First, you need to allow enough time for the other parent to comply with the order to attend Orientation. For example, if something has come up and the other parent needed to reschedule, you need to allow that to happen.

We can help you file a motion at the Court's Self-Help Center. In order to best help you, we need for you or a family member to visit our Self-Help Center Office (in downtown San Jose) personally with a copy of all the papers in your court file. Then we can review your entire file and tell you what forms you need to fill out next in your case.

If you are not able to send someone to visit our Center, you could:

• Contact a private attorney (you can get a low-cost consultation by calling the Santa Clara County Bar Association at 408-971-6822 ),
• Visit the forms page on the state court website  (any legal forms you need are available free there)
• Purchase a self-help book from a local bookstore or on the internet

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