The Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM) APFM is the premier organization for people who are dedicated to family mediation as a profession. We hold annual conferences for mediators and other professionals. Members have free access to a large number of training webinars on demand. We also have a wide selection of resources and educational materials available. Members of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM) provide mediation services to families facing decisions involving parenting, marriage improvement, separation, divorce or marital dissolution, child custody, wills and estates, elder care, family business succession, alimony, child support, pre-nuptial agreements, and many other disputes, conflicts, or issues within families. For the public, APFM provides a Directory of divorce and mediators. Mediation offers people the opportunity to resolve their disputes with the help of a impartial person trained in mediation skills, domestic violence issues, financial issues, and other topics. The mediator is not a judge or an arbitrator who imposes a decision on people, but is trained to assist people in negotiating their own resolution to their problems or concerns. Although mediators may come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including attorneys, psychologists, social workers, mental health professionals, clergy, and financial advisors, they receive specialized training to become mediators.