25-381.16. Conduct of hearing; recommendations; aid of specialists; expense; confidential communications

A. A person designated by the judge of the conciliation court shall conduct an informal hearing as a conference or series of conferences to effect a reconciliation of the spouses or an amicable adjustment or settlement of the issues.

B. At the conclusion of the hearing the designated person shall submit a report to the director of conciliation who shall review it and shall report the results of the hearing to the judge of the conciliation court. The judge of the conciliation court may, and on request of one or both of the parties shall, order further hearings in pursuance of this article.

C. To facilitate and promote the purposes of this article, the court may, with the consent of both of the parties to the action, recommend or invoke the aid of appropriate resources such as physicians, psychiatrists, social agencies or other individuals or agencies including clergymen of the religious denomination to which the parties belong or may request. No reports of any such individual or agency available to the court shall be filed with or become a part of the records of the case. Any such aid shall not be at the expense of the court or of the county unless the county board of supervisors shall authorize such aid.

D. Hearings or conferences conducted pursuant to this article for the purpose of effecting a reconciliation of the spouses or an amicable adjustment or settlement of issues shall be held in private, and the court shall exclude all persons except the officers of the court, the parties, their counsel and witnesses. Hearings or conferences may be held with each party and his counsel separately and, in the discretion of the judge, commissioner or counselor conducting the hearing or conference, counsel for one party may be excluded when the adverse party is present. All communications, verbal or written, from the parties to the judge, commissioner or counselor in a proceeding under this article shall be deemed confidential communications, and shall not be disclosed without the consent of the party making such communication.