How Mediation Benefits Child Support And Custody Negotiations
When it comes to divorce, one of the most important negotiations parents have to deal with is child support and custody arrangements. If your divorce is without complications, you may be able to more easily negotiate child support through mediation. This allows you and your spouse to make child support arrangements on your own terms in the presence of a neutral third-party. There are a variety of benefits of utilizing mediation for your child support negotiations, including the following.
Trained Advisement
Many mediators have the necessary training to advise divorcing parents on how their children are coping with divorce as a whole. Children often have a difficult time with their parents splitting up, so custody and child support negotiations are especially important. A mediator will often have existing relationships with outside therapists and counselors who can attend the mediation to help you all come up with an arrangement that is in the best interest of the children.
Conflict Reduction
Divorce is a difficult process even in the best of circumstances. There may be some animosity between couples who are ending their marriage. That animosity can often cloud judgment and can even cause one parent to want to lash out at the other through child support and custody negotiations. A mediator is there as an unbiased party to help you both understand that you are there to act in the best interest of the children. Mediators can redirect unpleasant conversations and keep you on the topic to help you make the best decisions for your family without added conflict.
Reduced Expense
A mediator typically sets his or her fees at a fixed rate for the entire process. This means you are not paying an hourly fee or retainer for an attorney as you negotiate your arrangements. A mediator can tell you how long you will need his or her services based on your situation. If you both are agreeable to the child support and custody terms, you may only need one meeting to make your arrangements. However, some cases need more than one mediation meeting to finalize the details. Either way, you will be able to more easily budget this expense into your divorce because you will know exactly how much you will spend on these services. This option also saves you money in paralegal and court expenses.
Mediation can be a great benefit for many divorcing couples as you work towards a solution for your new family circumstances. For more information, contact a local divorce mediator.
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