As a parent, it’s important to do what is in your child’s best interest, and this may be especially important during a child custody dispute. If you are in the midst of a disagreement over how parental rights to a son or daughter will be allocated, it may be best to resolve the dispute outside of a New Jersey courtroom.
Mediation keeps your child out of the dispute
In most cases, children are not required to be present during mediation sessions. This is ideal because they won’t have to listen to their parents yelling, saying nasty things about each other or otherwise acting poorly. Furthermore, your son or daughter will never learn about the terms of any agreement that is reached as the result of informal negotiations. This allows a family to spend more time creating positive memories and less time talking about the legal process.
Mediation can make it easier to come to a reasonable resolution
During a mediation session, you will be working with your child’s other parent to come to a resolution that benefits all parties involved. The mediator will ensure that you have ample time to talk about your feelings and your preferred outcome in the matter, which can make it easier to focus on negotiating an agreement that is best for your child as opposed to getting into petty arguments with your former spouse. If necessary, an attorney with comprehensive knowledge of mediation and collaborative law can represent you during the mediation process.
If you are involved in a child custody dispute, you may want to hire an attorney. He or she may be able to review any agreement reached during a mediation session to ensure that its terms meet the best-interests-of-the-child standard.