When both parents are willing to work together, a child custody agreement can be achieved without ever having to hash it out in court. Mediating and negotiating this matter is not only beneficial for the parents, saving them time, money, and heartache, but also good for the children since it will reduce tension and pave the way for a better co-parenting relationship.

Achieving a Visitation Agreement Out of Court

Mediation is a type of alternative dispute resolution, which is designed to help clients navigate their legal matters, including visitation, without having to go through a stressful and prolonged litigation process.

During your mediation sessions, you and your former spouse/other parent will meet with a trained mediator who will help the two of you work out a visitation agreement that works for you and is beneficial for your child. The mediator will not make any decisions for you. Instead, this unbiased and neutral third party will help keep you and the other parent on track and help facilitate fruitful negotiations.

Once an agreement is achieved, it will be submitted to the Court for approval and will be made an order of the Court.

Appropriate language needs to be in the agreement to show that:

• the agreement was fairly negotiated
• the agreement serves the best interests of the child

the agreement is not substantially skewed in favor of one parent over the other

• each party understands the terms and signed it voluntarily.

Assuming all of these conditions are met, the agreement will be approved by the court, which will make it a binding court order that you and your co-parent must comply with.

Mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution are not only more cost-effective and less time-consuming, but they can also give you and your ex the tools you need to navigate other obstacles you may encounter as you raise your child together.

Schedule a Consultation to Find Out More About the Mediation Process

At The Law Offices of Andrea Schneider, we are committed to helping clients achieve the best possible visitation agreement for their families through the most amicable means. You do not have to go through a difficult litigation process to obtain an arrangement that both you and your former spouse can agree to.

Reach out to our law office today at (619) 304-8499 to schedule a consultation with our knowledgeable legal professional to learn more about the mediation process and what we can do to assist you during this difficult time.