Family mediation services offer a less adversarial, more cost-effective approach to settling disputes. They also provide parents with a greater amount of flexibility when it comes to finalizing parenting plans. During sessions, mediators help families come up with solutions for their particular issues and encourage parents to cooperate with one another throughout the process.
In some states, custody cases must go through mediation before a judge can issue a custody order. However, you can often get out of this requirement if the other parent is abusive or you have a protection order in place.
Mediation can be conducted in person or via video. A professional mediator will listen to all sides of the dispute and teach the participants interpersonal communication skills so they can resolve future disagreements on their own. It’s not uncommon for a family who enters the session embroiled in extreme tension to end the process reminiscing about shared, happy memories.
In addition to providing a flexible and cost-effective alternative to litigation, Family mediation can help preserve and improve relationships, reduce stress, save time, and reduce costs. If you are considering mediation, find a government-funded or private Family Dispute Resolution service in your area by calling the Family Relationship Advice Line or searching the Find Local Help search feature on the Family Dispute Resolution Register. Some of these services may charge a fee for their services. If you have children, consider whether a ‘child inclusive’ model is best for your situation, where a child consultant will talk with the children and relay their views back to the parents during the mediation proceedings.