We now offer Virtual Mediations using Enhanced Video Conferencing
Originally published: May 2026
St. Lucie County Circuit Court judges in Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit refer contested divorce and custody cases to mediation under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700 before scheduling most hearings — so families in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Tradition need a Florida Supreme Court Certified mediator before a judge decides their case.
Ann M. Goade, Esq. has practiced exclusively in family law mediation on Florida’s Treasure Coast since 1993, holding ACR Advanced Practitioner status in Family Law from the Association for Conflict Resolution (2006) and an AV Preeminent peer-review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Schedule mediation with Ann Goade — call (772) 288-7275 or email info@anngoade.com.
A St. Lucie County divorce mediator is a Florida Supreme Court-certified neutral who facilitates structured negotiation between divorcing parties so both sides reach a written Mediated Settlement Agreement without a judge imposing the outcome.
Ann Goade conducts every session as a certified neutral — she holds no financial interest in the outcome, represents neither party, and carries no prior attorney-client relationship with either side — so Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce families negotiate on equal footing from the first session.
Florida Statute § 44.405, the Mediation Confidentiality and Privilege Act, establishes that all mediation communications are confidential and that neither party can be compelled to testify about statements made during a session — so families in St. Lucie County discuss settlement terms without creating a public litigation record.
Florida Statute § 44.405’s confidentiality protection applies to every issue addressed in the session, including parenting arrangements, support figures, and property division terms.
The 19th Judicial Circuit Mediation Program, which serves St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin, and Okeechobee counties, confirms that certified family mediation addresses parenting arrangements, child support, property and debt division, and timesharing — so Ann Goade resolves every contested family law issue in a single certified process rather than sending families to separate proceedings for each dispute.
Mediation is mandatory for most contested divorce and family law matters in St. Lucie County before a circuit court judge schedules a hearing. Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700 authorizes 19th Judicial Circuit judges to refer any contested family matter to mediation at any stage of proceedings — so St. Lucie County families who file a contested divorce petition face a mediation referral order before their case reaches a hearing date.
The 19th Judicial Circuit Mediation Program at (772) 807-4370 serves families whose combined gross annual income does not exceed $100,000 as of 2026.
St. Lucie County families above that income threshold, or those who prefer a private Florida Supreme Court Certified mediator with flexible scheduling, contact Ann Goade directly — so certified mediation remains accessible regardless of whether the referral comes through the court program or private arrangement.
Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700 requires the first mediation conference to be held within 60 days of the referral order — so families benefit from scheduling with a private certified mediator who can confirm dates promptly rather than waiting on court-program availability.
Ann Goade’s mediation process covers every issue addressed in the referral order in a single structured session, so families meet the 60-day window without returning for additional proceedings.
Ann Goade serves St. Lucie County families across every primary 19th Judicial Circuit community — so Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Tradition, and St. Lucie West families access Florida Supreme Court Certified family mediation without traveling outside their home judicial circuit.
Port St. Lucie — Port St. Lucie is the largest city in St. Lucie County and the primary residential community for families entering the 19th Judicial Circuit family court. Ann Goade serves Port St. Lucie divorce and custody cases as a private certified mediator, offering scheduling flexibility that the court mediation program cannot match.
The dedicated Port St. Lucie mediator page covers how the process works for unrepresented and attorney-represented families in this community.
Fort Pierce — Fort Pierce is the county seat of St. Lucie County and the location of the St. Lucie County Courthouse at 218 South 2nd Street, where 19th Judicial Circuit family judges review and approve all Mediated Settlement Agreements.
Agreements reached with Ann Goade are submitted to the Fort Pierce courthouse for judicial review, so Fort Pierce families can reach a binding resolution without extended contested-hearing timelines.
Tradition and St. Lucie West — Tradition and St. Lucie West are western St. Lucie County communities with growing family law caseloads in the 19th Judicial Circuit court. Ann Goade serves both communities through in-person sessions at her Palm City office and virtual mediation for families who cannot travel, so western county families can access the same 30-year certified mediation practice as families closer to Fort Pierce.
Ann Goade extends her Florida Supreme Court Certified family mediation practice into Indian River County — so Vero Beach, Sebastian, and Fellsmere families resolve divorce, custody, and support disputes within the same 19th Judicial Circuit governing St. Lucie County family courts.
Indian River County families face the same Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700 mandatory mediation requirement, and the same $100,000 combined income threshold applies as of 2026 for the court program — so families above that threshold schedule directly with Ann Goade rather than through the court program.
Vero Beach — Vero Beach is the county seat of Indian River County and the location of Indian River County Circuit Court, where 19th Judicial Circuit judges oversee dissolution and custody proceedings.
Ann Goade serves Vero Beach families through virtual mediation statewide and in-person sessions at the Palm City office — so Indian River County families can access the same ACR Advanced Practitioner-level process as every other Treasure Coast county.
Sebastian and Fellsmere — Sebastian and Fellsmere families in northern Indian River County access Ann Goade’s certified mediation through virtual sessions — so geographic distance from the Palm City office does not limit access to 30 years of Florida Supreme Court Certified family mediation experience.
St. Lucie County families who resolve divorce and custody disputes through certified mediation retain decision-making authority that contested 19th Judicial Circuit litigation removes.
A Fort Pierce family court judge applies Florida’s statutory framework — including the best-interest factors under Florida Statute § 61.13 for timesharing and the equitable distribution standard under Florida Statute § 61.075 — to reach a decision based on statutory criteria.
A Florida Supreme Court-certified mediator facilitates a negotiated agreement that both parties control and both parties sign.
Ann Goade does not represent either party in contested litigation in any jurisdiction — so families in Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce negotiate with a practitioner who has no financial stake in the outcome and no prior relationship with either side.
Mediators who maintain active litigation practices carry a structural conflict that exclusive mediation eliminates — and Ann Goade’s 30-year exclusive practice record is the clearest available signal that no such conflict exists.
Families across the Treasure Coast — from Port St. Lucie south to Stuart and north to Vero Beach — choose Ann Goade because her certified agreements withstand 19th Judicial Circuit judicial review and keep families out of modification proceedings by giving both parties ownership of the terms.
| Factor | Certified Mediation with Ann Goade | Contested St. Lucie County Litigation |
| Decision-making authority | Both parties retain control | A circuit court judge decides |
| Confidentiality | Protected under Florida Statute § 44.405 | Public court record |
| Timeline | Flexible, within 60-day Rule 1.700 window | Set by the court calendar |
| Cost | Single mediator fee | Attorney fees through each hearing |
| Pro se access | Supported — pro se mediation available | Self-representation in contested proceedings is high-risk |
Ann Goade follows a structured certified mediation process for every St. Lucie County and Indian River County case — so both parties understand each step before the first session begins.
Step 1 — Scheduling: St. Lucie County families schedule mediation by calling (772) 288-7275, emailing info@anngoade.com, or submitting the online form. No court referral order is required — families may schedule voluntarily before any court filing.
Step 2 — Financial Disclosure: Florida Family Law Rule 12.285 requires both parties to exchange mandatory financial disclosure documents before or during mediation. Ann Goade confirms mandatory disclosure requirements with both parties before the session begins — so no agreement is reached without both sides reviewing complete financial information.
Step 3 — Mediation Session: Ann Goade conducts sessions in person at 3576 SW Sawgrass Villas Dr, Palm City, FL 34990, or through virtual mediation for families who cannot travel. Every session addresses parenting, support, property division, and alimony — so families resolve all issues in a single certified process rather than returning for multiple proceedings.
Step 4 — Mediated Settlement Agreement: Ann Goade prepares a written Mediated Settlement Agreement that covers all resolved issues once both parties reach an agreement. The agreement is submitted to St. Lucie County Circuit Court in Fort Pierce, where the assigned family judge reviews and approves it.
Step 5 — Court Approval: The St. Lucie County Circuit Court judge signs the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, incorporating the Mediated Settlement Agreement, so families can achieve a court-enforceable resolution without the contested-hearing timeline that extends St. Lucie County Circuit Court proceedings.
Who is the St. Lucie County divorce mediator that families in Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce use?
Ann M. Goade, Esq., is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator serving Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Tradition, and St. Lucie West. She has practiced exclusively in family law mediation since 1993 and holds ACR Advanced Practitioner status in Family Law, earned in 2006 from the Association for Conflict Resolution.
Is mediation required before the divorce court in St. Lucie County?
Mediation is mandatory for most contested family law matters in St. Lucie County. Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit requires parties to complete mediation before a circuit court judge schedules a contested hearing on divorce, timesharing, child support, or equitable distribution under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700.
Does Ann Goade serve Indian River County families in Vero Beach and Sebastian?
Ann Goade serves Indian River County families in Vero Beach, Sebastian, and Fellsmere through virtual mediation statewide and in-person sessions at her Palm City office. Indian River County falls within Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit alongside St. Lucie County, so the same certified mediation process applies across both counties.
What is the income threshold for the 19th Judicial Circuit court mediation program?
The 19th Judicial Circuit Mediation Program serves St. Lucie County parties whose combined gross annual income does not exceed $100,000 as of 2026. Families above that threshold schedule directly with Ann Goade by calling (772) 288-7275 or submitting the online scheduling form at anngoade.com.
How long does St. Lucie County divorce mediation take to complete?
Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.700 requires the first mediation conference within 60 days of the referral order. Ann Goade schedules promptly without court-program wait times — so St. Lucie County families meet the 60-day deadline while resolving all disputed issues in a single certified session.
Can self-represented parties use mediation in St. Lucie County?
Self-represented parties in St. Lucie County can access certified family law mediation without an attorney through Ann Goade’s pro se mediation service, so unrepresented families receive the same Florida Supreme Court-Certified neutral process as attorney-represented clients in every 19th Judicial Circuit session.
What family law issues does St. Lucie County mediation resolve?
St. Lucie County family mediation resolves dissolution-of-marriage terms under Florida Statute § 61.052, parenting plans and timesharing under § 61.13, child support under § 61.29, equitable distribution under § 61.075, alimony under § 61.08, and mandatory financial disclosure under Florida Family Law Rule 12.285.
Where does Ann Goade conduct in-person mediation for St. Lucie County families?
Ann Goade conducts in-person family law mediation at 3576 SW Sawgrass Villas Dr, Palm City, FL 34990 — serving Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Tradition, and St. Lucie West families. Virtual mediation is available statewide for families who cannot attend in person.
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