In Florida, there are two types of child custody arrangements:
- Sole custody: One parent is responsible for making major decisions, and the child resides with one parent and might have visitation with the other.
- Joint custody: This is shared parenting responsibility. Both parents must approve all major decisions involving the child.
When you let a court determine your parenting time rather than settling the dispute amongst yourselves, there are no winners and your kids definitely end up losing.
There is a better way to decide child custody that doesn’t involve a legal dispute. Did you know that 29% of child custody cases managed to come to a resolution without third party involvement?
Divorce and child custody cases can be complicated and are emotionally exhausting, not to mention expensive. You need an affordable divorce lawyer to assist you with your child custody disagreement. The attorneys at Affordable Divorce Center are here to facilitate a resolution, not spark controversy.
Mediation for Child Custody Decisions
Mediation involves a third party who is completely neutral and does not have a stake in the outcome. Mediation sessions are completely confidential. The situation is non-adversarial. There is no “winning” or “losing”, only an attempt to reach common ground and facilitate a calm and open discussion.
There are two types of mediators – court-appointed and private mediators. The questions a mediator will help you address are:
The amount of child support to be paid.
Visitation or time-sharing arrangements.
Who will be in charge of education, health issues, and religious decisions?
Who pays out of pocket expenses,co-pays and deductibles?
Parenting Coordination
Other than mediation, another option to consider is parenting coordination. This is a child-focused alternative to the dispute resolution process. Parents sit down to create a parenting plan and parenting time sharing agreement through a court-approved coordinator.
At Affordable Divorce Center, we work with certified mediators who offer mediation services for divorce, child custody, and child support so that you can avoid the added expense of a family law case and escape the courtroom drama.
Need an affordable divorce lawyer for filing uncontested divorce forms? Call or visit us now. We have law offices in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton.
