Family Mediation Services

MEDIATION: A Process in which two people, with the help of an objective third party, cooperatively make agreements about all the issues involved in dissolving their marital relationship. Family mediation typically involves divorce mediation and child custody issues.

MEDIATION IN GENERAL

  • Cost effective
  • Time Limited & Convenient (control over when each session occurs and how long each lasts)
  • Risk Free (no imposed decision)
  • Creates compliance (each spouse is more invested in an arrangement they helped produce)
  • Confidential (if mediation breaks down, neither statements made during mediation nor any documents prepared for the purpose of mediation may be used as evidence in court.)
  • Enforceable (jurisdiction is held by the court)
MEDIATION WITH CHILDREN
  • Benefits children by reducing conflict/hostility
  • Less disruptive to family
  • Models cooperative conflict resolution for children
  • Restructures marital relationship into co-parent relationship
  • Allows all parties involved to maintain dignity and self-respect
  • Provides closure
  • Provides a mutually agreeable plan for all aspects of parenting/child-rearing:
  • Parenting Plan (meeting each child's individual emotional and developmental needs)
  • Future plan (meeting again after specific increments of time to reassess each person's needs)
  • Legal custody
  • Physical custody
  • Non-custodial visitation
  • Grandparent visitation
  • Child support (Dissomaster/Support Tax calculations available)
  • Child support modifications
  • Child support arrearages (back support)
  • Wage assignment (waiver of wage assignment)