Not all parents here in Virginia or elsewhere across the country remain together. Marital and nonmarital relationships do not always work out, and when they don’t, the parents will find themselves needing to work out child custody issues. These days, most parents do not want to end up in court, and mediation could helpthem reach an agreement without the need to do so.
Mediation provides a place where parents can negotiate without the adversarial component present in courtrooms. Instead of focusing on blame, the process encourages parents to compromise and communicate in order to negotiate an agreement that best serves the children. Parents can come up with solutions otherwise considered “outside the box” in order to do so.
One primary benefit of mediation is that parents retain control over the future of their family. Yes, changes will happen, but the more control individuals have over how the changes occur and what the future looks like, the better they tend to feel. This often helps lessen the stress of the situation. It may also help keep the parents involved from getting into unnecessary arguments. Of course, part of the mediator’s duties is to help keep them on track when they do start to disagree and get off topic.
It is necessary for Virginia parents opting to use mediation for child custody issues to understand that the mediator does not represent either party. When it comes to protecting their rights, each party will need to handle that responsibility. One good way to do so is to work with an attorney experienced in family law.
