Court-Appointed Early Neutral Evaluation

If you are involved in a family court case, the judge will give you an opportunity to volunteer for an early neutral evaluation (ENE). This is a process that allows you and your attorneys to work with a trained neutral to assess the likely outcome of your case and offer ways of resolving the matter without a court confrontation.

There are two types of ENE:

• Social early neutral evaluation. This process is handled by two trained evaluators, a legal professional and a mental health professional, usually in the form of a male/female team, who give both parents the chance to offer their views on what is best for the children. The evaluators do a shortened form of a full custody evaluation and give their recommendations on how best to resolve the issue. This leads to a settlement discussion between the parents and the chance to make an agreement. I have taken the formal training and am available for appointments to these cases.
• Financial early neutral evaluation. This process is handled by a single trained legal professional who does an assessment of all the financial issues in the case and assists the parties in coming up with a resolution in one or two sessions. If there is no agreement, the evaluator offers a recommendation on the best outcome.

I have been trained in these skills and been doing these evaluations for many years. I am a member of the FENE rosters in Ramsey and Hennepin counties. I have been handling several of these matters every month.

If standard mediation is not suitable for your case, please consider SENE or FENE in your case.

Contact Mike Black For More Information

To speak with me, contact my firm via email or phone. A short phone conversation will likely help you understand your options and what next steps are available. Call my St. Paul office at 651-222-2587.