Divorce can be a scary and stressful experience for children if their parents bring conflict and anger to every interaction. Building a solid parenting plan requires communication, collaboration and respect.
Here are 5 reasons to with a child custody mediator:
There are no enemies: Mediation focuses on what’s best for the children and reduces conflict between parents by helping them work together, instead of acting like bitter enemies. Mediators are neutral parties who assist parents in reaching a calm and reasonable middle ground, when making decisions about their children’s care.
Children are honored and protected: Through mediation, parents are able to focus their attention on establishing what is best for their children as they work to craft a fair and comprehensive parenting plan.
Mediation is fast and less costly: Working with a mediator can save you time and money. Child custody mediation is valuable in side-stepping what can be a long and arduous trial, often resulting in a resolution in a week or two, instead of months or years.
There’s no blame game: Focusing on which parent hurt the other more takes attention away from the what’s really at stake. During mediation, you’ll learn how to communicate more effectively with your ex-partner and move past the blame game into a healthier, more supportive relationship which benefits both the parents and their children.
Future-focused relationship building: Your children are watching and learning from you. Communicating and collaborating with your ex-partner are key in protecting your children from the fallout of a messy divorce. Your mediator will help you and your ex learn to build relationship skills and work together, thus modeling healthy behaviors for your kids.
Working with an experienced child custody mediator is a smart way for parents to make sure their children’s best interests are represented and that each parent can make a positive contribution to their child’s future.