Child Custody And Why You Should Seek Mediation
Fighting over the custody of your children during a divorce process can be a painful experience. Frequent visits to court and constant battling can be a harrowing time for your children. Child custody is the highest priority among divorcing parents who need to make very serious decisions before the divorce is finalized.
Mediation in child custody battles
Mediation involves a neutral third-party member that helps resolve issues without having to go to court. If the parents cannot agree on a parent plan in mediation, they are requested to go to court, where the judge will issue an order.
Mediation in child custody cases helps parents resolve their disagreements regarding a plan for their children. The parents seek consul from an expert, who helps them create a plan that may potentially become a custody and visitation agreement if it gets signed off by a judge.
The local superior courts have free mediation programs to help parents with child custody issues.
Benefits of mediation in child custody battles
The advantages of involving mediation in a child custody case are as follows:
- When you seek mediation, your spouse and you will have to work together, focusing on a common goal, which is doing the right thing for your children. With mediation, you can create a parenting plan that will enable both of you to be actively involved in your children’s lives.
- Divorces have a very negative impact on children and they find it difficult to accept their parents’ separation. Your children are usually caught in the crossfire between your spouse and you. Mediation will teach you to separate your interests from your children’s and focus on what is best for them.
- Mediators are neutral and well-trained professionals. They will not pick a side and will only focus on a good future for your children.
- A divorce causes spouses to blame each other and become enemies, but mediation will help you focus on developing skills to creating a parenting plan and working together.
- Mediation will help reduce conflict and stress and also help you improve your communication skills with your spouse.
- Creating an effective working partnership with your spouse is the mediator’s primary focus. This allows them to help you with a plan to raise your children together.
- Mediation is cheaper than lawsuits and will always create good results.
Conflicted divorces are very frustrating, for you and your children. Focus on building a working relationship with your ex and creating the right parenting plan to raise your children together.
To learn more about the divorce process in California and how mediation can help, please visit our page, “What is Divorce Mediation.”
Gerald A. Maggio is a trained Orange County divorce mediator who has amicably resolved cases many cases out of court, as well as an experienced divorce and family law attorney. Mr. Maggio founded California Divorce Mediators in 2012 with the belief that although “not every marriage can be saved, every family can” and a mission to save families from the financial and emotional distress associated with traditional divorce litigation. California Divorce Mediators is located in Irvine, California, and serves the Orange County area and other counties in California offering divorce mediation, child custody mediation and mediation of other family law matters.
