A Guide to Child Custody Mediation: Discussions, Decisions, and Plans

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A Guide to Child Custody Mediation: Discussions, Decisions, and Plans

As a parent going through a divorce, you may be anxious about child custody. Will you be getting enough time to spend with the kids? How will you be a part of their lives going forward? Will your ex be in the picture? Will you? 

With mediation, you have a say in these matters. Under the guidance of a mediator, you and your soon-to-be ex-partner decide on child custody, preparing an agreement that will be the basis of the co-parenting relationship going forward. 

In this comprehensive blog, you will gain expert insight into how child custody mediation works, and what you should cover during these negotiations. Keep reading below. 

What Is Child Custody Mediation?

Meditation is an alternative dispute resolution method involving a neutral individual helping conflicting parties iron out their disagreement.

Divorcing partners can use this approach to settle child custody. In such cases, they meet with a mediator (a highly skilled attorney) who helps them agree on issues like the child’s education, living arrangements, and even finances. 

Mediation is preferred to litigation for several reasons. To begin with, it is cheaper and takes a shorter time. For context, judicial proceedings can drag on for months, sometimes even years, and involve significant legal costs. 

Additionally, mediation is more flexible, allowing for custom child custody arrangements that would typically not be allowed in open court. 

As such, it is better to leverage the benefits of this dispute-resolution method and engage with a jointly selected mediator or a court-assigned one. 

What happens during child custody sessions? What do people actually talk about? What should YOU ask for? Stick around to find out. 

The Parenting Plan- A Crucial Element of Child Custody Mediation 

A parenting plan is like the constitution for your co-parenting arrangement. It will outline how you and your ex-partner will share your parenting responsibilities. 

Fortunately, it is not set in stone. The mediator can help you formulate a program that embodies the child’s needs, your relationship with them, your financial capabilities, your schedule, and your relationship with your ex-partner. 

When working on this document, bringing your calendar with you is essential. “During the discussion, you will look forward to the future, considering significant life events for your child’s life, and discuss potential plans,” says family attorney Paul Riley of The Riley Divorce & Family Law Firm.

This approach will go a long way in reducing conflict. Should any disagreement arise, you can easily refer to the parenting plan for direction. 

Here is a brief outline of the basic components of a parenting plan:

• The child custody arrangement you will rely on 
• Transitions and drop-off locations 
• School holidays and vacations 
• How you will handle child disciplining 
• Child support arrangement 
• The procedure for solving future conflicts 
• Handling the child’s education 

Essentially, the parenting plan will dictate the mechanics of your co-parenting relationship. When developing it, be sure to voice out your opinions and concerns. 

Remember, the mediator will be a highly skilled attorney who has helped many families in the same situation as yours. They will ensure the parenting plan fairly echoes the child’s needs, your own, and your ex-partner’s. 

If you have trouble getting along with your partner in the future, the parenting plan will address the conflict resolution process.