How to find a mediator for child custody

If you are going through a divorce, civil partnership dissolution or any separation where a child’s place of residence is likely to be affected, family mediators like Marcia Mediation can help.

There are several different terms that relate to children’s living arrangements after divorce:

· Custody is still commonly used in conversation

· Residency is the preferred term in formal discussion

You may also hear of contact orders, residence orders and child arrangements orders. These are different types of court order that can affect each parent’s right to see their children, including having the kids to stay overnight and/or visiting them elsewhere.

Child custody grants each parent the right to look after their children for a specific amount of time. By definition, this also restricts access at other times, when the children are with the other parent.

It’s completely understandable that this can be stressful and emotional for parents who spend a lot of time with their kids – but divorce mediators are highly skilled at finding a positive way to proceed.

When do you need a mediator for child custody?

If you are divorcing with children, you should consider residency arrangements as a matter of course. You will also be required to consider mediation and attend a Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting (MIAM) as part of filing for divorce.

This gives you the perfect opportunity to be proactive about making mutually agreeable arrangements for where your children will live and how long they will spend with each parent.

Doing so can lay down certain ground rules to protect the children – and both parents – in various scenarios:

· The children normally live with one parent and just visit the other

· The children ‘live’ with both parents and divide their time between addresses

· One parent decides to move away and wants to take the kids with them

This last point is just one example of how things can change, and why it is essential to clarify what will happen in the event of a future dispute or a need to alter your arrangements.

How Marcia Mediation can help

We are experienced, empathetic family mediators with a long and proven track record as divorce mediators.

If you are just filing for divorce and need to arrange a MIAM, please take full advantage of the meeting to raise any questions or concerns you might have about child custody and residential arrangements.

You may already be divorced or separated, and looking for a family mediator to help you resolve a new dispute that has arisen about the kids – we can advise on this too.

Mediation is the perfect solution to this kind of dispute, where you need a very personal plan for the future, rather than one laid down by the law.

The family mediators at Marcia Mediation know exactly how to identify the obstacles and move around, over or directly through them, to put in place the custody arrangements you need for a happy, healthy future life despite your divorce, with a minimum of stress or fuss.