Family law mediation is a voluntary process in which a couple meets with a neutral third party to address and resolve issues. Mediation is an alternative to litigation which has many benefits. For example, it provides a less contentious forum in which to resolve your issues, and often results in a quicker settlement, which is more cost effective than litigation.
When mediating custody and parenting time issues, parties often ask: “What should I bring to mediation?” And as in many instances, the quick answer is “it depends,” as each couple’s situation is different and can involve unique issues with unique documentation. However, there is certain information that is consistently helpful in establishing a parenting time schedule through the mediation process. The information includes:
- School calendar (especially showing days off from school);
- Extracurricular activity schedules:
- Sports – both practices and games, and any necessary travel to accommodate the activity.
- Religious – both schedule of any classes as well as any commitments to attend religious services.
- Hobbies/Clubs – including any necessary travel to accommodate the activity.
- Tutoring needs and schedules;
- Camp schedules (if the children will be attending camp);
- Any standing therapy appointments for the child;
- Any standing medical treatment appointments (e., routine vaccinations, yearly checkups, dentist appointments, allergy shots, etc.)
- Information for how a parent can access any parent portal for school;
- A parent’s work schedule (especially if the schedule changes throughout the year); and
- A child’s work schedule (if the child has a job).
While this list is not exhaustive, it is certainly a good place to start. Understanding scheduling needs is critical to effectively evaluate how best to accommodate a parenting time schedule that will give both parent meaningful time with their children. The family law mediators at Cohn Lifland understand the importance of gathering and analyzing this type of information with parties to assist in creating a parenting time schedule.
Contact us for help if you want to review and effectively negotiate the custody and parenting time aspects of your family law matters.