Why Your Child Will Thank You For Choosing Mediation

Being a parent is undoubtedly one of the most important, challenging and rewarding roles that anyone can fulfill during their life. From changing diapers and performing round-the-clock feedings to helping with homework and drying tears after a playground fall, young children especially need and rely upon their parents for so many things. In cases where parents of a young child divorce, it’s critical that they find a way to work together to continue to meet their child’s needs.

For a young child, the many changes that frequently accompany the divorce process can be especially confusing and upsetting and these negative feelings tend to increase and intensify when parents don’t agree about child custody issues. Thankfully, parents have options and can choose to mediate their child custody case rather than turn to the family courts.

3 Benefits Of Mediation For Parents & Children

  1. Provides families more control – Yes, you and your ex may have differing opinions on how custody issues should be resolved, but that doesn’t mean that your best option is to turn to a family law judge to decide what’s best for your family and your child. With the assistance of a neutral third-party mediator, parents who choose to mediate child custody issues can come together to air and talk about their concerns with the goal of arriving at a custody arrangement that meets the needs of all family members.
  2. Saves time and money – In addition to the significant emotional and mental toll, for parents of young children, a courtroom custody battle is also extremely time-consuming and expensive. Alternatively, in most mediated child custody cases, parents are able to come to a consensus and decide custody and parenting time issues relatively quickly, saving time and money.
  3. Paves a better way forward – Parents of young children who divorce have years of co-parenting ahead of them and, for the benefit of a son or daughter, must find a way to communicate and work together. Mediation only works when parents are able to effectively communicate and compromise and parents who can successfully mediate a custody agreement are better positioned to move forward and succeed in their new roles as co-parents.

Children learn by example and frequently model the behaviors, both good and bad, that they witness. For parents of young children who divorce, mediation can provide the positive cornerstone that you and your ex need as you both do your best to move forward and navigate this new chapter in your lives.