Are Mediators in Massachusetts Licensed?

I often get this question from attorneys who wonder if a certain training will “certify” them as mediators. In fact, today I just received an inquiry regarding the upcoming 40 hour online mediation training offered by Divorce Mediation Training Associates (more information below):

Are Massachusetts Mediators Certified?

Which mediation training leads to certification?

Massachusetts does not have a state certification or license provided by the Commonwealth Certification Mediators. However, there are some judicial and legal regulations that require 30 hours of training for certain activities and I believe this is where the misconception about “certification” lies. The judicial rules and laws that require training are:

• Under the Mediator Confidentiality Act, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 233, Section 23C, mediators who have received at least 30 hours of training and who meet other requirements have protection from confidentiality in their customer communications and work product.

Although these are state requirements, the training mediators are not “certified” under these regulations. Mediators are only qualified through training to meet these requirements.

Some private organizations offer certifications for mediators, including the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, Inc. These private certifications often have more stringent requirements. For example, MCFM requires an additional 60 hours of training (in addition to the 30-hour basic training) and a certain level of experience in order to qualify for certification. For more information on MCFM requirements, see: How is a Mediator Certified?

When you see a mediator claiming to be certified, you should ask yourself which organization provided their certification and what are the requirements for obtaining that certification, as not all certifications are created equal.

If you are interested in other reasons for mediation training, read: The 5 most important reasons for training in mediation.

When you’re ready to get trained, Divorce Mediation Training Associates has one 40 hours of online mediation training Not only does this qualify for the three Massachusetts State requirements listed above, but it goes beyond that and meets the national standard of 40 hours of training. The training begins on April 22nd and takes place on nine mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (UPDATE: We will also do another training session in July!). Find out more and register here.