April 20, 2018 marked the sixth annual Peter H. Johnstone Settlement Day. Named in honor of a deceased family law attorney who helped organize this event, this free mediation program matches family court cases with volunteer attorneys to settle a high number of cases in one day. In the months leading up to the event, judges and court staff work to identify and assign cases to this event. Cases qualify for this mediation day if neither party has an attorney but seem willing to mediate. Cases range from divorce without children, to divorce with children, to parentage, to post-divorce disputes.
Johnstone Settlement Day hosts a large number of family law attorneys in Albuquerque who dedicate their day to this pro bono event. Attorneys dedicate their day with the goal to mediate and settle as many of these cases as they can. The program does not disappoint, and settles an impressive number of cases. On average, 75% of cases each year are completely settled, and another 11% reach partial settlement. Not only is this a great service to the families who participate in the mediation, it provides a great service to the entire court system, as cases which are able to settle with just a little help are cleared from the judge’s docket so that other cases may be heard sooner. Mulcahy Law Firm is honored to participate in this event every year, and looks forward to 2019!