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Avoid A Lengthy Court Case With Mediation For Child Custody Concerns

Tournour Law has been helping clients in East Brunswick with family law matters since 1999. Our attorney, Frank Tournour, uses 30 years of experience to help you mediate child custody or visitation issues and work toward an agreement with your parenting time schedule.

The Benefits Of Mediation For Visitation Schedules And Parenting Time Plans

Negotiations in a divorce proceeding that revolve around child custody matters and visitation or parenting time schedules are almost always emotional and difficult for all of the parties involved. Choosing mediation for visitation/parenting time disputes gives you the opportunity to resolve your issues and create a plan for your children in a calm, cooperative environment.

A great number of factors are considered when drafting a parenting time plan, including the children’s preferences and the relationship between both parents. During a mediation session, you and your co-parent can fully discuss all of these factors. A member of our team can act as a sounding board for potential plans, offer suggestions for overcoming obstacles, and keep the conversation running smoothly. Mediation can also help you and your ex-spouse lay the foundation for a positive co-parenting relationship.

Preparing For Your Mediation Session

There are many ways to prepare for mediation that will help smooth out the process and ensure the best interests of both you and your child are protected.

  • Knowing the other parent’s goals: If you are on good terms with your ex-spouse, it is a good idea to discuss ideas for visitation and parenting time in advance of your mediation appointment. The more you know about their goals going into the session, the more prepared you can be with your own.
  • Discussing visitation/parenting time with your child: Having an open and honest discussion with your child about how much time they want to spend with each parent is very important, especially for older children. Their wishes are an essential part of creating a fair plan.
  • Drafting a visitation/parenting time plan of your own: You probably have a vision of how you want visitation to go. Coming prepared with a well-thought-out parenting time plan can facilitate the mediation process.

If you are asking that you or your spouse have supervised visitation or parenting time, there must be evidence to support this request. In cases with a history of domestic violence, we often recommend that clients handle all divorce, custody and parenting time issues in a courtroom setting. However, we will do everything possible to respect your wishes and proceed with mediation if you prefer to settle these issues out of court.

For visitation/parenting time rights, mediation is the best way to create an agreement that encourages a peaceful future for all parties.

What To Bring To Mediation For Visitation/Parenting Time

Coming prepared to the meeting is another way to speed the process and protect your interests. Some of the documents you can bring to the meeting include:

  • A calendar marking holidays and work or school vacations
  • A list of proposed visitation dates
  • Any relevant police reports
  • Names of professional supervisors for supervised visitation/parenting time, if needed

It is a good idea to bring documentation of anything that supports your position, especially for aspects which your ex-spouse may dispute.

Protecting Your Child’s Welfare

With cases involving custody or visitation issues, the welfare of the child is the most important consideration. Any parenting time plan created during mediation will need the approval of a judge, who will thoroughly review the document to ensure it is fair to both parents and the children. For parenting time rights, mediation can be the best way to create an agreement that encourages a peaceful future for all parties.

Is Mediation Right For Your Visitation Issues? Call Today.

Find out more about using mediation to resolve your family law matters, including divorce, child custody or visitation issues. Tournour Law can help. Call us today at 732-913-3634 or email us through our online form to schedule your initial consultation.