In cases where child custody is contested, family lawyers, therapists, and mediators can help parents in this difficult situation. The plan being developed needs to be child-centered, so that the child’s interests are taken care of first. Also, it’s imperative that non-invasive, simple mechanisms are in place to take care of recording conversations among all individuals involved. Learn more about how iRecord provides Child Advocacy Consulting services and why we support ERI in these cases.
Most cases can be solved using a mediator. In court-assigned cases, these mediation meetings can span around 90 minutes. However, in order to have full discussion, this time limit can be extended further. In the circumstance of a private case, there is no time limit.
What Do Mediators Do?
Mediators help collect complete information about each parent in hopes of coming to an educated decision. During mediation, each parent’s history is thoroughly looked over. All aspects, including childhood, past divorces, past history, parent’s history, and more, are all taken into consideration.
They look for red flags between both the clients. By addressing these discrepancies, mediators discuss and settle them with both parents. The more each can see the other’s perspective, the more constructively proceedings will take place.
Perform A Safety Check
You have to inspect their homes and see whether things are generally in place and all the residents of the home should make themselves available for interviewing. Mediators should ask for references from both parents in order to make a clear and concise decision.
Create A Plan
After all of this is done, creating a plan to present to the case is very important. This decision will sway the judge to award custody to either parent. In order to be successful in presenting actual parenting plan, mediators should explain to their clients the need to present themselves as reasonable, articulate, and flexible. Disturbing the court in anyway can create a negative outcome.
Solid preparations for mediations can bring success! These tips will go a long way in maximizing chances of success in mediation and evaluation. For more tips, visit iRecord.