COVID-19 is forcing us to take things one step at a time... During these uncertain times, it’s good to have plans. One of the most important plans to have in place if you’re a divorced/separated parent, is a PARENTING PLAN. A mediator like me can help you get one in place specific to this Pandemic and the ever evolving adaptations we’re all undergoing. WHO and HOW will at-home education be addressed? WHAT should we tell/not tell the kids about what is going on in the world? These times are hard enough, being on the same page with your co-parent is vital. Contact me today to set up a virtual parenting plan session. #virtual #parenting#covid19 #mediation #parentingplan#custody #kidsfirst #socialdistancing
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The Boston Herald recently posted an article called ‘Custody Issues in a Time of Coronavirus’. A mother who works from home and has 3 school aged children is suddenly taking care of them full-time and asks their father to pay additional child support during this time as she cannot maintain full-time hours and is now caring for the children 24/7. Author Wendy Hickey offers great legal advice on how to approach the conversation, prepare documentation, and the legal path forward.
It seems this couple had a partial resolution for their parenting plan and failed to make it to the finish line. A quick session of mediation might have helped fill in the gaps and relieve a lot of stress for everyone in the future. If you have questions about what the future holds during this pandemic, schedule a session of mediation today. If you are concerned about the time it might take to mediate, your best course is to come PREPARED! Bringing organized documentation pertaining to all of the issues to be mediated will streamline the process and keep your time and costs down.
Mediation is meant to be approached in good faith. One party hiding assets, money, debt, etc could very well cause a breakdown of trust that could end negotiation on a dime. Today I mediated for 7 1/2 hours without a break. I was the one mediating, so i can only assume that it must have felt several times longer for the parties involved as it was their lives that were being affected. It would have been tragic to end mediation because the parties were exhausted by the process and not because they couldn't come to agreeable terms. If you are preparing to mediate a divorce, come prepared to discuss EVERYTHING and plan to spend the better part of the day FOCUSED on mediation. Deadlines or events planned on the same day may distracting and put undue pressure on the process. Many people don't realize that Mediation is a course of action that is ALWAYS an option. May times clients who are court-ordered to seek a resolution through mediation give up after the first attempt. It is often the case that the real problem with finding a resolution is timing. That means, if the same two parties were to attempt Mediation at a later time, the result could be remarkably different.
It is always worthwhile to reconsider and make multiple attempts to mediate a dispute, even if you have previous failed attempts. A mutual agreement is almost always better than a court-order for all parties involved. If you're feeling DONE, take control and give mediation a try. Ongoing, regularly scheduled mediation sessions to address regularly occurring custody issues (extracurricular, holidays, etc.) is a great way to avoid high conflict interactions in uncontrolled environments and relieve anxiety and distrust when co-parenting. To book your next mediation session, click here. |
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