2006 Kansas Code - 23-1002

      23-1002.   Same; when ordered; appointment of case manager; qualifications. (a) The court may order case management, when appropriate, of any contested issue of child custody or parenting time at any time, upon the motion of a party or on the court's own motion. A hearing officer in a proceeding pursuant to K.S.A. 23-701, and amendments thereto, may order case management, if appropriate, of a contested issue of child visitation or parenting time in such a proceeding.

      (b)   Cases in which case management is appropriate shall include one or more of the following circumstances:

      (1)   Private or public neutral dispute resolution services have been tried and failed to resolve the disputes;

      (2)   other neutral services have been determined to be inappropriate for the family;

      (3)   repetitive conflict occurs within the family, as evidenced by the filing of at least two motions in a six-month period for enforcement, modification or change of residency, visitation, parenting time or custody which are denied by the court; or

      (4)   a parent exhibits diminished capacity to parent.

      (c)   If the court or hearing officer orders case management under subsection (a), the court or hearing officer shall appoint a case manager, taking into consideration the following:

      (1)   An agreement by the parties to have a specific case manager appointed by the court or hearing officer;

      (2)   the financial circumstances of the parties and the costs assessed by the case manager;

      (3)   the case manager's knowledge of (A) the Kansas judicial system and the procedure used in domestic relations cases, (B) other resources in the community to which parties can be referred for assistance, (C) child development, (D) clinical issues relating to children, (E) the effects of divorce on children and (F) the psychology of families; and

      (4)   the case manager's training and experience in the process and techniques of alternative dispute resolution and case management.

      (d)   To qualify as an appointed case manager, an individual shall:

      (1)   Be qualified to conduct mediation;

      (2)   have experience as a mediator;

      (3)   attend a workshop, approved by the district court in which the case is filed, on case management; and

      (4)   participate in continuing education regarding management issues.

      History:   L. 1996, ch. 159, § 2; L. 2000, ch. 171, § 9; July 1.