Should you try child custody mediation? Would it work for you?

 Posted on December 05, 2019 in Uncategorized

A common misconception about any form of family law mediation is that the parties have to get along in order for it to succeed. Fortunately, that isn't necessarily the case. As long as you and the other parent want to create your own child custody agreement and parenting plan outside of the courtroom, mediation remains a viable option.

Like other Texas parents, you love your children. For this reason, you are probably wondering whether child custody mediation will work for you. If you consider the benefits you could reap from the process, you may find it more of an attractive option.

What can you get out of mediation?

In addition to retaining control over your future, you also receive numerous benefits from child custody mediation, such as the following:

• Your mediation sessions are private. If you are like most people, you don't want to discuss personal matters in public, which is how you could end up if you go to court to resolve your issues.
• You will more than likely save a considerable amount of money when compared to taking the matter to court.
• You get to participate in the process of creating your post-divorce parenting life. During mediation, each parent gets to have a say, and your mediator will probably encourage you and the other parent to voice your opinions and ideas as they pertain to your parenting plan and custody agreement.
• You will probably be more likely to follow through with and adhere to the agreement since you had a significant hand in creating it.
• You will experience greater emotional satisfaction from creating your own plan than you would if you went to court.

When you put all these benefits together, you may find you experience less stress and frustration through the process. That doesn't mean that you won't have disagreements as you negotiate with the other parent. However, the mediator is there to help ensure they don't result in a complete breakdown of your negotiations.

You don't have to be best friends with your future former spouse to benefit from child custody mediation. You simply need to agree to put your children ahead of your feelings for each other. Thereafter, the next best thing you can do is choose a mediator that you feel comfortable with, since this person will hear and weigh in on your family's private life.