Your child’s welfare could be tricky to discuss when divorcing your ex. However, it is essential to sort out arrangements for your child. These conversations could quickly end in conflicts, making it difficult to move forward.
Fortunately, family court mediation can help you and your ex settle issues without going to court. When an impartial third party helps mediate your discussion, you and your ex can examine the issue more objectively and find a middle ground. This type of mediation can help you accomplish the following:
- Prioritize your child’s needs
- Reasonably discuss problems that might affect your child’s welfare
- Create a parenting plan
- Agree to an arrangement that gives both parties enough bonding time with the child
- Practice communicating openly with each other
However, mediation can only address general matters in a divorce. Specific topics might not be appropriate to discuss and should go to court, such as spousal support, child support and any evidence relevant to the divorce.
Reaching an agreement through mediation
The goal of mediation is to set up a mutually satisfactory agreement. Once you finish discussing, the details will be documented and submitted to the judge for review.
The court will still assess the agreement and determine any changes as needed. Once approved, the judge will sign it and provide a court order. However, mediation does not always work. Even if you go through the process, you might fail to reach an agreement.
In this situation, you will take matters to court and the judge will assess the case and decide based on your child’s best interest. Sometimes, you might need to attend multiple hearings, depending on the circumstances of your divorce.
