Source-backed qualifications and preparation information for all 15 topics, usable across all 75 Arkansas counties with the existing county routes. This is partial coverage, not an eligibility decision. Current income limits, program exceptions, local intake, funding and individual facts require confirmation. No professional legal review is recorded.
Access and Visitation mediation: qualifying disputes and reduced fees
Access and Visitation mediation: qualifying disputes and reduced fees
Who this is for / requirements to check
The statewide program is for an Arkansas resident or a person subject to Arkansas circuit-court jurisdiction who is a parent or guardian of minor children and has a custody, visitation or support dispute with the other parent. Source: Arkansas Access and Visitation Mediation Program
This is a preparation list. Confirm which items the program requires and what alternatives it accepts.
Current parenting or support orders, if any
Income and dependent information requested for fee screening
Issues proposed for mediation
Safety concerns for private screening
Exceptions & conditions
A grandparent seeking their own custody or visitation is outside the described program; a case involving an existing grandparent custodian and a parent's access may qualify. Source: Arkansas Access and Visitation Mediation Program
Questions to ask
Does my dispute fit custody, visitation or support?
Can participation be safe and voluntary in my circumstances?
What financial information sets the fee?
Next steps
Contact the program for screening.
Ask about cost and safety arrangements before scheduling.
Use legal advice to review any proposed agreement.
The program director confirms eligibility; mediation does not itself amend a court order.
County routing: Drew County. Check the county contacts in this guide; program rules and service areas may differ. A local listing does not establish open intake or eligibility.
Source capture and review status
Arkansas Access and Visitation Mediation Program — Eligibility, costs, attorneys and judges, grandparent cases Source checked: 2026-10-12. Capture: retrieved. No professional legal review recorded. SHA-256: 75add11877627fc32ebd7499a2d14889b8f548a78201956402669733c9123f16
Forms, timing and where to file
Check that this filing path fits your actual papers and your role.
Match the procedure, your role and the actual papers before using a period or form. No personal due date is calculated. Current rules, service, exceptions and local filing requirements need confirmation.
Apply for Access and Visitation mediation screening
Your next steps
Obtain the program's application and identify the child-related dispute and existing court orders.
Provide requested income/dependent information for cost screening.
Disclose safety or coercion concerns confidentially before participation.
If an agreement is reached, ask how it must be submitted for court review and continue following existing orders.
Receiving office: Arkansas Judiciary Access and Visitation Mediation Program
Submission method: Return the current program application by its published instructions; confirm accepted delivery with the program director.
Jurisdiction and venue: Statewide program; court approval and existing case jurisdiction remain separate.
Drew County check: For all 75 Arkansas counties, confirm the actual receiving office and venue before filing. County of residence alone does not establish jurisdiction. Confirm current hours, accepted delivery, electronic access, fees or waiver options, and proof of acceptance or service.
Use the named agency, federal office or provider’s current instructions. County court filing contacts do not replace this submission route.
Before you submit: Verify signatures, attachments, current form edition, fees or fee-waiver process, service requirements, and whether the office must receive or accept the filing by the deadline. Keep the accepted copy or receipt and follow up on rejected submissions. A referral or phone call does not extend a separate deadline.
Limits: Application is not a court filing; property division and spousal support are outside this program.
Official sources and capture status
official_application · statewide
Identify whether the dispute concerns custody, visitation or support for a minor child.
Gather existing orders and state which issues remain disputed without assuming mediation changes the order.
Contact the statewide Access and Visitation Program for current screening and application instructions.
Disclose safety, coercion and communication concerns privately so the program can assess whether mediation is appropriate.
Provide requested income and dependent information and confirm any cost share and program exclusions.
Prepare specific child-focused proposals and distinguish possible agreement from issues needing a judge.
Ask how a written agreement reaches the court and continue complying with the existing order until properly changed.
How this process works
Who handles this issue
The Arkansas Access and Visitation Program screens applicants; a mediator facilitates discussion and the court reviews any agreement requiring a court order.
Before you start
Identify whether the dispute concerns custody, visitation or support for a minor child. Gather existing orders and state which issues remain disputed without assuming mediation changes the order.
Filing or application route
Contact the statewide Access and Visitation Program for current screening and application instructions. Disclose safety, coercion and communication concerns privately so the program can assess whether mediation is appropriate.
What happens next
Provide requested income and dependent information and confirm any cost share and program exclusions. Prepare specific child-focused proposals and distinguish possible agreement from issues needing a judge.
When to get qualified help
Mediation does not pause a court deadline or replace immediate protection when safety is at risk.
Confirm for your county
This guidance is available for families in all 75 Arkansas counties. Confirm the court with authority over the existing case and the actual program's intake process; residency, jurisdiction and local filing mechanics require individual confirmation.
Choose the path that fits
Does the program cover these issues?
Do any exclusions or safety concerns affect suitability?
Check these points in the source
Arkansas Access and Visitation Mediation Program ↗: Request screening for statewide child-focused mediation and reduced-cost assistance. Income screening and program exclusions apply; property division and spousal support are outside this program.
Arkansas circuit clerk directory ↗: Use this separate referral or oversight route for the issue identified here; it does not replace the primary submission.
Documents to gather
Keep originals secure. Use copies and redact sensitive details when sharing.
Checks are temporary and reset when this page is reloaded.
Questions to ask before acting
Does the program cover these issues?
Do any exclusions or safety concerns affect suitability?
What would my cost share be after screening?
How would an agreement become an enforceable court order?
What is the response method and deadline in my actual papers, and can I request language help, disability access or a fee waiver?
Arkansas-wide navigation; confirm the current source and the responsible office before acting. Keep sensitive documents out of public chat.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not assume this program mediates property division or spousal support.
Do not agree under pressure or conceal a safety concern.
Do not treat an unsigned mediation proposal as a changed order.
Before filing, applying or traveling in Drew County
Identify the actual court, division, agency or provider from your papers. Your home county alone may not determine the correct venue or office.
Confirm accepted submission methods, current forms, required attachments, fees or waiver options, and any separate service or notice requirement with the responsible office.
Read the dates and instructions on the actual notice. Keep delivery records, accepted submission receipts and the next appointment or hearing information.
Ask early about an interpreter, disability accommodations, a safe contact method, remote participation or travel needs. Confirm who receives the request.
For representation, ask about issue coverage, income rules, conflicts and intake capacity. A referral or application does not mean a lawyer has accepted the case.
These shared checks apply across all 75 counties. They are preparation questions, not confirmation of a particular local procedure. Court filing and agency applications use separate systems.
Shared source capture status
https://arcourts.gov/directories: Retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC.
General legal information and navigation, not legal advice. No deadline, eligibility, representation or outcome is determined here. Check current official instructions and your actual papers. Editorial guidance date: 2026-10-12. Draft navigation content; not professionally reviewed.
General legal information and navigation, not legal advice. No deadline, eligibility, representation or outcome is determined here. Check current official instructions and your actual papers.
Arkansas Legal