Are you filing for divorce? Here’s how to prepare for child custody mediation….

Child custody is often a fiercely contested issue and the hardest to resolve when parents choose to divorce. This is because both the parents love the children and are seldom satisfied with visitation rights and other arrangements thrust upon them.

Divorce lawyers in Raleigh, NC are available. If you believe your marriage is more negative than positive, you need to hop on USAttorneys.com and speak to a legal pro. 

With both parents eager to play a greater role in their child’s life, any sort of resolution may seem unfair and unrealistic. The best way to solve these differences is through child custody mediation, according to majestic divorce lawyers in Raleigh, NC.

What mediation entails

Divorcing couples often take recourse to mediation to solve disagreements involving critical issues such as child support, division of property, and alimony.

For the most part, a mediator is a neutral person the spouses hire and in most cases they are litigators experienced in family law with specialized legal training to act as mediators. However, North Carolina divorce attorneys reiterate that a mediator does not decide on any of the matters but helps both spouses arrive at a favorable decision.

Preparing for custody mediation

• It is important to know your legal rights and responsibilities through your legal counselor before mediation.
• Make a detailed schedule of visitation.
• Prepare your visitation and custody proposal with the help of your legal representative.
• It is paramount to have all critical records of your child made available at the meeting. This includes medical records, school report card, and a therapist’s report, if any.

The mediation process

Raleigh, NC divorce lawyers always suggest that parents come prepared to attend mediation with an open mind. In child custody mediation, it is crucial not to rake up old issues with your spouse and instigate a fight. Remember, the focus should be to present a custody plan that works in your children’s best interests. The bottom line is to come prepared to compromise.

Speaking of an open mind. Alicia Florrick, from the show The Good Wife, had an open mind until the season finale of season 2 when she realized her husband also had an affair with Kalinda when she worked at the State’s Attorney’s office in Chicago. This is when Alicia flipped and secured another apartment for her husband and gave him the keys and told him that is where he can live for the time being.

Now this is fictional but it does happen. If this does not happen, listen to your legal professional and maintain that open mind during these negotiations. 

During the process the mediator will meet with both parents and explain the rules of mediation. Any discussions during the meeting are strictly confidential and cannot be used as evidence in court. Lawyers from both sides can be present at the meeting.

Identifying priorities

The issues concerning child custody are decided in terms of priority. For instance, if a child needs urgent medical attention, it will feature as the number one topic of discussion in the meeting. Other vital issues discussed include schedules, exceptions that can disrupt the visitation schedule such vacations and holidays, extracurricular activities, medical treatment, private coaching, schooling, and religious training.  

This is a legally binding document so make sure you agree with all the terms before you sign the agreement.

If you are in a situation where you cannot agree with your spouse on matters of child support and custody, you can always turn to a marvelous North Carolina divorce lawyer for valuable assistance on every aspect of family law.

Press right here Divorce.USAttorneys.com to make this happen. Hopefully your divorce is not turning into something out of Armageddon, you know, where the children are used as pawns and their considerations are not even taken into account.