When is Child Custody Mediation Necessary?

When two parents decide to get a divorce, the most difficult challenge tends to be agreeing upon terms concerning child custody. Even if the divorce is amicable, reaching a child custody agreement is not always easy. Because of this, you may want to consider getting child custody mediation.

What is Child Custody Mediation?

Things can get quite heated when trying to discuss things like child custody and visitation rights. This is especially true if the divorce is not an amicable one. A child custody mediation involves bringing in a neutral third party to mediate the proceedings. A mediator will help to discuss and resolve any disagreements you and your partner may have. These mediators are typically professional attorneys who are experienced in family law. It’s worth noting that the mediator’s job is to help the couple come to an agreement. They do not actually make any decisions on behalf of either party.

Child custody mediation is a good idea if you find that you’re having difficulty agreeing to terms with your ex-partner at the outset. If you’re still on friendly terms, then you may think that you and your ex will be able to come to an agreement on your own. However, if you don’t agree to terms on the outset, mediation is a good idea. Otherwise, things could turn sour despite the fact that you have managed to keep things amicable up until that point.

Mediation may help you and your partner realize that you do have some common ground, and that you each have the children’s best interest at heart (though you likely won’t agree on everything).  If you can’t find that common ground, there is a risk that you and your partner become stubborn out of spite and won’t agree to anything with one another. This can affect the child in a negative way as a result.

How to Prepare for Child Custody Mediation

If you and your partner decide to seek child custody mediation, then you’ll want to prepare for the meeting. There are several steps that you should take:

• Speak with an attorney – You want to be as informed about your situation as possible. A family law attorney can help provide you with a better understanding of what your custody rights are and what your responsibilities will be. They will also help you understand whether your expectations are realistic or not.
• Write up your schedules – You can’t just go into a mediation demanding that you take child custody or that you be granted certain visitation rights unless you can show what you and your child’s schedules are and how they will work together. For example, you can’t expect to be granted child custody if you’re working seven days a week until extremely late hours. Of course, having a schedule will also make it easier to work with your ex on an agreement that suits both parties.
• Create a proposal – Write your own child custody proposal to share with the mediator and your ex. If your ex doesn’t agree with it, the mediator will have something to work with to help you come to an agreement. Don’t forget to consider special circumstances, such as holidays and birthdays.
• Collect all relevant documents – Gather all documents that are relevant to your child, such as report cards, medical records, notes from your child’s therapist, and more.

If you and your ex-partner can’t come to an agreement concerning child custody and visitation rights, you should consider seeking child custody mediation. Doing so can help you come to an agreement without things turning nasty between parties. If you’ve found yourself in a custody disagreement with your ex, contact our office today. We have the experience you need to get things resolved as quickly as possible.