Military Family Mediation and Parenting Coordination in Florida
Jessica Oliver, LCSW (SW18101), is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator (44460 CF). She comes from a military family and understands military life. She is married to Ryan, who served 21 years as an EOD tech in the Air Force.
Military families often live by schedules they do not control. Duty hours change. Moves come with short notice. Parents may spend long stretches apart. Mediation gives both parents a calm, steady place to talk about what comes next.
How sessions work
A parent who is deployed, stationed elsewhere, or recently relocated can join by Zoom. Sessions can also be hybrid, with one parent at the Dade City office while the other joins online. Families may start on Zoom and switch to in person.
In-person sessions are only at the Dade City office, 38008 Live Oak Ave, Suite 2, Dade City, FL 33523. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Weekends are available by appointment.
Parenting coordination
When parents live far apart, following a parenting plan can get harder. Jessica is also a qualified parenting coordinator. She helps parents carry out the plan they already have and work through disputes as they come up. Parenting coordination can help when ongoing conflict makes the plan hard to follow. It is available by Zoom. Read more about parenting coordination.
MacDill and the Dade City office
Families connected to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, in Hillsborough County, can join by Zoom or come to the Dade City office. Jessica does not hold sessions on base.
Families in Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Sumter counties can meet in person at the Dade City office or use Zoom. Zoom is available throughout Florida.
Fees
Mediation is $250 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. Parenting coordination is $250 per hour, billed in 6-minute increments, with a retainer set case by case.
Jessica's role in mediation
Jessica is neutral and works with both parents equally. In mediation, Jessica's only role is mediator. Mediation is not therapy, and it is kept apart from her LCSW work. A mediator does not give legal advice. Military families can have legal questions that other families do not, and each parent should take those questions to their own attorney. No two families are alike, and outcomes vary.
Jessica generally doesn't serve one family as both mediator and parenting coordinator.
Questions from military and veteran families
Can a deployed parent take part in mediation?
Zoom sessions can work when both parents agree to take part. If your case is already filed, whether a remote session meets the court's requirements depends on your court order or a written agreement between the parties. Your attorney or the order itself can answer that. Scheduling is discussed at the first call.
Can one parent come to the Dade City office while the other joins by Zoom?
Yes. Sessions can be hybrid, with one parent at the office and the other on a screen. Families may also start on Zoom and switch to in person later.
Does Jessica meet families at MacDill Air Force Base?
No. In-person sessions are only at the Dade City office. Families connected to MacDill can come to that office or join by Zoom.
Can sessions be scheduled around duty hours?
Scheduling is discussed at the first call. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Weekends are available by appointment. A parent who cannot come to the office can join by Zoom.
Can Jessica serve as both our mediator and our parenting coordinator?
Jessica generally doesn't serve one family as both mediator and parenting coordinator. If you already have a parenting plan and need help carrying it out, see the parenting coordination page.
Reading this page does not create a professional relationship. This page is general information, not legal advice or individual advice. Outcomes vary.