Bannock County
Family Court ServicesGuardianship & Conservatorship
Learn about the Guardianship and Conservatorship Monitoring Program.
Sixth District Court
View the Sixth District Court page.
FCS Funding Application
Family Court Services Funding Application.
Helpful Resources
View Helpful Links and Forms.
Family Court Services
624 E Center Room 106
Pocatello, ID 83201
Google Maps
Hours
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Contact
Phone: (208) 236-7416
Fax: (208) 236-7431
Family Court Services
The Family Court Services (FCS) offers approved funding to eligible parties and services. FCS helps resolve cases involving children and families through combined efforts of the courts, the family, and community services in ways that are less adversarial and intrusive.
| Services Offered | |
|
|
Co-Parenting Services
Parenting Plan Information
Mediation: Brief Focus Assessment; Parenting Time Evaluation
So you've been ordered to do Mediation/BFA/PTE with a Professional.. Now What?
Follow the steps below to schedule a Mediation/BFA/PTE.
Contact Family Court Services
Call FCS at (208) 236-7416
Provide a copy of your court order.
Submit Funding Application
Apply for financial assistance & provide proof of your income.
Professional Provider
If needed, Family Court helps coordinate a provider
Notice of Assigned Provider
Family Court notifies parents of assigned provider & parents should contact provider to schedule.
Mediation/BFA/PTE Scheduled
Mediation, a Brief Focus Assessment, and a Parenting Time Evaluation have been scheduled.
Important Info:
- These services are governed by the Idaho Rules of Family Law Procedures.
- Professional Providers are contractors with the court & maintain their own hours of operation.
- Please follow up with an attorney if you have legal questions.
Mediation
Mediation is a process where a third-party person, known as a Mediator, is appointed by the courts to help parties move toward a mutually acceptable agreement about custody and visitation.
Disagreements are usually settled based on power, rights, or interests. Disputants who don’t have to deal with each other ever again often settle disputes using power or rights. Disputants who deal with each other after settlement are more willing to settle disputes in a way that gives some satisfaction to all sides. Mediation is not based on power or rights. Agreements which are somewhat satisfactory to all involved are important for people who will have dealings with each other after settlement.
POWER — The person with the most power or money gets to decide.
RIGHTS — Someone, perhaps a judge, decides based on who has the rights or who is right.
INTERESTS — Agreements based on each person’s wants instead of bargaining over positions.
Mediation Process
The mediation process is confidential and involves both parents meeting one or more times with a court-approved mediator.
- Each party has an equal role in decision-making during the mediation process.
- As a neutral party, the mediator works with the parents to find areas of agreement for a parenting plan.
- Agreements reached can be drafted by the mediator and provided to the parents and/or attorneys.
- Mediated agreements will need to be entered properly in the court file and finalized by an order by the judge.
| To make the most out of the mediation process: |
|
You are strongly encouraged to have your attorney advise you throughout the mediation process and review any agreement reached in mediation. Depending on the number of issues, agreement can generally be reached in 5 – 10 hours. The fewer the issues, the faster the process.
Why do courts order mediation?
A mutual agreement between parents is typically better than one imposed by the court. Courts require all parties ordered to mediation to participate in good faith. When parents work together responsibly, they minimize costs in both time and money, and reduce stress for everyone involved, especially for the child.
Mediators dos & don'ts
| Mediators do | Mediators don'ts |
|
|
Supervised Access: Visitations & Exchanges
So you've been ordered to do Supervised Visits with a Professional.. Now What?
Follow the steps below to schedule a Mediation/BFA/PTE.
Contact Family Court Services
Call FCS at(208) 236-7416
Provide a copy of your court order.
Submit Funding Application
Apply for financial assistance & provide proof of your income.
Coordination
If needed, Family Court helps coordinate a provider.
Schedule Intake
Family Court Services will contact you for intake. This is mandatory for visits to begin.
Professional Provider
Family Court notifies parents of assigned provider & parents should contact provider to schedule visits.
Visits Begin
Important Info:
- Supervised Visits are governed by IRFLP 717.
- Professional Providers are contractors with the court & maintain their own hours of operation.
- Family Court Services & providers do not provide legal advice.
- Please follow up with an attorney if you have legal questions.
Supervised Visitation
Why supervised visits?
A third-person visitation arrangement is often called “supervised visitation”.
| Why supervised visits? |
|
The court order will specify the time and duration of the visits. Sometimes, the court order will also specify who the provider is to be and where the visits are to take place.
Who is a supervised provider?
There are three types of supervised visitation providers:
- The non-professional provider,
- The professional provider,
- The therapeutic provider.
The professional and therapeutic providers usually charge a fee for services and are experienced and trained to provide supervised visitation services. The non-professional provider is usually a family member or friend who does not provide supervised visitation services. Your court order will usually say which type of provider you have to use to supervise these visits.
How can I find a supervised provider?
Family Court Services maintains a current roster of supervised access providers in our area.
For more information, Contact:
208-236-7416 | dburrell@idcourts.gov
Focus On Children Co-Parenting Class
So you've been ordered to complete the Focus On Children Co-Parenting Class...
Follow the steps below to start the completion process.
Contact Family Court Services
Call FCS at 208-236-7432
Provide a copy of your court order.
Make Payment
Pay your $35 class fee at your local county court records office.
Receive Class Link
You will receive an access email from Family Court with instructions. Complete No Later Than Court-Ordered Deadline.
Submit Questionnaire
Complete online or printed questionnaire.(See the link or attachment in your email)
Submit Survey
Complete the anonymous online survey. This is voluntary & will not affect your case or completion of the class.
Completion
Once submitted, you will receive an email from Family Court Services & we will have your file updated.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- My password isn't working: Once you have clicked on "New Filing Class," you need to type the password in the grey colored area.
- The video is giving me an error: If you have waited until the last day to finish your class, it is possible that the website became overwhelmed with the number of people trying to get access. You will have to wait and try again when fewer people are on
- I didn't get an email sent to me: Make sure your email is current in your court file. Call Family Court to update or verify.
- I don't know how to turn in the questions online: You are welcome to print the attached questionnaire & scan or send photos back to us via email instead of completing the online version of the questions.
- Did you get the questions I submitted: Once we have received & had a chance to review your submission, Family Court will send you an email advising you that you have completed the class. We will then send a certificate of completion to the court records, and they will file this into your case.
Focus On Children Workshop
The workshop is mandatory across the state of Idaho and has consistently proven to be effective in helping parents reduce conflict for the sake of their children. The Focus on Children classes are available online, and no alternative online courses will be accepted in their place.
| Focus on Children offers: |
|
IMPORTANT:
If you do not attend the workshop as required, disrupt the workshop, leave before it is over, fail to watch the content in its entirety, do not complete the required materials, or do not pay the necessary fees, the court may hold you in contempt. Additionally, failure to follow this order may be taken into consideration when making future custody decisions.
For more information, contact:
Arianne Despain
208-236-7416
acdespain@idcourts.gov
Payment options
Please use one of the following payment options to make your $35 class payment. Once you have made your payment, Family Court Services will e-mail you a link to the class video along with a questionnaire to complete and submit.
You will need to make your payment and complete the class NO LATER THAN YOUR COURT-ORDERED ATTENDANCE DATE.
| PHONE PAYMENT WITH COURT RECORDS/CLERKS' OFFICE: | ||||||||||||
|
Please call the county where your case is pending to make a payment over the phone.
|
||||||||||||
| In-Person Payment at Courthouse: | ||||||||||||
| Please come in and visit your local courthouse (Court Records) to make your payment in person via cash, money order, or check. | ||||||||||||
| Drop Payment off at Courthouse, Bannock County Only: | ||||||||||||
| Drop off payment via cash, check, cashier's check, or money order in the Bonds & Fines drop box in front of the courthouse. Please attention it to Diane and include your name, case number, purpose of payment (Focus on Children), and phone number in case there is an issue with payment. Please be aware that drop-off payments will take longer to process. |
Cash, check, money order, and credit card (3% service fee) are all accepted.
Co-Parenting App Reimbursement
If you're using a co-parenting app, you may be eligible to be reimbursed for your costs! Contact Family Court Services today to find out more: 208-236-7416
Follow the steps below to start the completion process.
Step 1
Download your favorite co-parenting app & pay the initial fee.
Step 2
Use the App with the other parent for at least 30 days.
Step 3
Obtain & Submit the FCS Funding Application
Step 4
Get reimbursement approval & keep using the App!
Frequently Asked Questions:
- I can’t afford the upfront cost: At this time, this program is only available for reimbursement. However, there are free co-parenting apps. Contact Family Court Services if you would like some more information regarding this.
- I would like to pay for the app service monthly: We can only do a reimbursement for yearly or lifetime fees paid. We cannot reimburse on a monthly basis.
- I can’t agree with the other party on which app to use: Some apps have a “solo” mode that can still be used for one party if cooperation is a concern. Family Court Services is happy to give education to both parties and help aid in a resolution.
- I am having technical difficulties with the app: You will need to contact the tech support for the specific app you are using to get help with any in-app issues
- How soon will I get reimbursed: You will need to use the app for a full 30 days before being considered for reimbursement. After you have done that, the wait time will depend on how quickly your application is received and the volume of applications we are receiving at the time.
Disclaimer
Contact Family Court
| Position | Name & Email | Phone |
| Family Court Services Manager | Arianne Despain | 208-236-7416 |
| Domestic Violence Court Coordinator | Kimberly Talbot | 208-236-7421 |
| Guardian & Conservatorship Monitoring Coordinator | Sandra Thoen | 208-236-7422 |
| Court Assistance Officer | Bailey Stimpson | 208-236-7067 (call) 208-538-4816 (text) |
Family Court Services
624 E Center Room 106
Pocatello, ID 83201
Contact
Phone: (208) 236-7416
Fax: (208) 236-7431
Hours
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
