Child custody mediation can be a beneficial legal technique for divorcing couples, but many are not familiar with the process. Not only can mediation help you and your divorcing partner protect your co-parenting relationship, but it can also improve your relationship with your child. Effectively co-parenting post-divorce can be a major hurdle for parents, and a poor relationship with your co-parent has had negative consequences for your children.
What is Child Custody Mediation?
Child custody mediation helps parents reach a time-sharing agreement by utilizing a third-party mediator to navigate the major points of your custody arrangement. A mediator helps identify challenges and navigate issues to prevent negotiation breakdown. Mediators are neutral guides, and many specialize in managing negotiations to keep conflict low. Couples in mediation working on their parenting plan are guided through the process in a manner that helps them keep their child’s best interest at the forefront of the process. By working with a child custody mediator, parents have found they can create a parenting plan that is more effective and long-lasting. Mediation can be used to help couples resolve many of the tough issues they face during divorce proceedings. Creating a parenting plan can be challenging if you and your divorcing spouse are not on good terms or have poor communication skills, but a mediator can help!
Four Reason Child Custody Mediation is Better for Your Kids
Child mediation has many benefits for divorcing couples. Traditional litigation can be very stressful and emotional for children, and divorcing couples find their relationship is worse after litigating their divorce. Parents who leave their divorce with worse relationships find it more difficult to co-parent with their ex.
Additionally, divorcing couples found many other significant benefits, including:
- Custody Mediation Promotes Better Communication: Parents who submit to mediation learn better communication skills and work together before the divorce is finalized. When parents participate in child custody mediation, they become more comfortable communicating issues and working through them without getting sidetracked by petty arguments.
- Custody Mediation Focuses on Your Child’s Best Interest: Mediation is a collaborative process, so it encourages parents to learn how to work together. When parents participate in child custody mediation, they learn to focus on their child’s best interest. Experts have found that mediation provides a better way for parents to resolve their issues while minimizing conflict and stress within their relationship. Parents can work through even the thorniest custody issues by learning to make their children the focus of their negotiations. Custody battles are stressful for children because they feel like they’re being forced to choose between their parents.
- Custody Mediation Produces Effective Agreements: Mediation is a collaborative process where both parents contribute to making a plan that meets everyone’s needs as much as possible. Traditionally litigated divorces are characterized by arguing and ruined relationships, and couples typically need a judge to intervene to create a parenting plan. A judge doesn’t know you and your family structure, so when a divorcing couple works together to create a parenting plan, it’s considered better for the children involved. When parents are done creating a mediated parenting plan, they are confident in the plan's effectiveness because it was created collaboratively.
Are You Ready to Try Child Custody Mediation? Call Us Now!
The legal team at Leavitt Law Firm can help you begin the child custody mediation process today. Our attorneys and staff have years of experience guiding families facing challenging child custody battles. With over 30 years of experience helping clients resolve their child custody issues, we are ready to meet with you today for a consultation on your case. Contact us today at (702) 996-6052 to schedule a meeting with our attorneys.