Child Visitation And Custody Mediation

"How does mediation help child visitation problems?" is a common question divorced parents ask. Usually parents have heard about mediation but are unsure about what exactly goes on there and if it can help them with their custody situation. In order to help divorced parents better understand if and how mediation can help them, here are some of the common questions and answers about it.

Q: What is custody mediation? A: Custody mediation is when both parents in a custody situation sit down with a neutral third party to work out their parenting plan. The mediator is trained in custody and visitation and helps the parents work out an agreement. They help the parents create a workable visitation schedule and also go through any provisions and stipulations the parents want in their agreement.

Q: Who goes to child visitation mediation? A: Any parents going through a custody situation. Mediation is a service provided to help divorcing parents work out a parenting plan. If the parents are having a hard time agreeing on anything or find themselves constantly fighting, mediation may be a good route to go. It's designed specifically to help people work through problems. Parents generally find it easier to work through issues when there is a neutral third party present.

The mediator also helps to keep the parents focused on the visitation issues--this is helpful because a lot of fights come up about other problems in the divorce and aren't relevant to custody. Even parents who only have minor issues can benefit from an objective perspective on their parenting plan. The mediator always tries to bring up what is best for the child and this can be helpful for everyone to remember.

Q: How many times do the parents have to go? A: This varies on the complications of the parenting plan. Some parents may only need to go to mediation once to work out an agreement. Other parents may have a harder time agreeing on things and will have to go multiple times.

Q: Is it required to go to mediation? A: Some states doe require that parents attend mediation before going to court. California is one state that does. Every state has different laws though so it depends on where you live.

Q: How much does it cost? A: Again, this varies. There are private mediation centers where you can go and sometimes there are court sponsored ones. The ones sponsored by court will be cheaper and sometimes they are free. Even if you seek out a private practice, mediation is generally reasonable.

Q: Do the children go too? A: Sometimes. If you want to include your children when you create your visitation schedule then you can bring them. It's completely up to you.

Every custody and visitation situation is different. There are multiple ways to come up with parenting plans and schedules that the parents want. Ultimately every person has to decide what will help them and then seek out those resources.