Child Custody Mediation: What to Do When You Have to Share Custody
Sharing custody is never easy. You will need to practice diplomacy and the art of negotiation in order to work through child custody mediation. It is important to show your best face and put your best foot forward character-wise, because a judge is watching. They can award custody differently based on many things, but diplomacy and respect are two of the items they can use to adjudicate with. If you are caught speaking negatively to your children about other members of the family, the judge may be in a position to award custody differently, not in your favor.
Likewise, you do not have to put up with another family member negatively representing you during child custody mediation. You may be awarded more rights or more time with the children if the other party is at fault in this area. So, keep calm and carry on in all cases. Make time to do things with your family and appear put-together, even though your nerves may be fraught. Childhood is relatively short, and you will want to see your kids as often as you can. The way to do this is through a decent custody arrangement and as much family time as you can manage.
It is easy to let family outings fall through the cracks when divorce and child custody proceeding arise, because of all the time you spend doing legal trying to get custody. Do not let that cause a lack of family time for you, though. Child custody mediation can last up to several years, and the time will fly by in the blink of an eye if you let it. The way to get what you want out of child custody mediation is to appear well in front of the judge and to negotiate fairly with the other person while respecting your children’s needs. A kind, caring parent has a much better chance of winning larger custody than someone who attempts to take control of the situation.