Child custody is an extremely important decision that you make with your ex-spouse when you decide who is going to make legal decisions for your child and how much time they’re going to spend with both of you. Because of this, many couples find that they can’t agree and their cases end up in front of a judge. Many other people decide that isn’t the way they want to do things and end up going through child custody mediation.
Many couples use child custody mediation as a way to resolve disagreements in a communicative manner that works for everyone. Today we want to look at some of the steps in the mediation process and how it applies to your case.
Steps to Expect in Mediation
Initial Meeting: When it comes to the initial meeting, you want to come in with an open mind. You don’t want to talk about what went wrong in the relationship – you want to move forward to the best interests of your child. The ability to work together and compromise on many issues will determine whether or not you will get the results you hope to receive. You will hear many rules from the mediator and begin laying out matters.
Identifying Issues: You will discuss with the mediator and your ex the many issues you believe are present in your case. This can be anything from the most minor issues to the most complex. You want to understand your schedule moving forward, where your child will go to school, where you stand with introducing new people into your child’s life, schedules for holidays, and more.
Discuss Solutions: You will talk about each issue separately to come to a conclusion that works for everyone. You have to be willing to listen to the other side, because this is the fair way to make it all work.
Sign Agreement: If you and your spouse agree on the issues, you will sign the custody agreement before moving forward, knowing that you were able to come to a conclusion on every issue.
Going through mediation can sometimes be a stressful time, but it doesn’t have to be when you have an attorney on your side who listens to you every step of the way. We want to speak with you about your case today. Let’s get started, give us a call.
