Getting a divorce always has the potential to get complicated, but when you have a child, the whole process can be even more tedious. Working with a family law attorney to come to agreements about child custody is always better than forcing the court to decide. If the lawyer believes mediation could help, it will be helpful if you know a few things that may be discussed during this meeting.
Financial Aspects of Caring for the Child
Even though money is something that may be covered in family court as far as child support is concerned, finances may also come up during family mediation as well. You may have issues in mind to discuss about finances, such as:
In general, you will be looking at which parent is most capable of providing financial support, but financial support and physical support can be two very different things. For custody mediation purposes, the general financial topics may be covered just to get an idea of what roles each parent will play in the child's life.
How Much Time Each Parent Has in Day-to-Day Life for the Child
When trying to decide whom a child should be with the most, one thing that has to be considered is which parent will have the most time available in their day-to-day life. For example, if one parent works a lot of hours or runs a business that takes up a lot of time but the other parent only works a regular full-time job, it may be more feasible for the child to spend more time with the parent with more time. These things are discussed in detail during mediation to determine what would be in the best interests of the child.
How the Child Feels About Custody
Even though this may not be the case with younger children, it is common for parents with older children to discuss with the help of a mediator what the child actually wants to do or whom they wish to live with. It is important for the child's wants to be considered in these delicate situations even though it is not always a wise decision to allow the child to wholly make this decision on their own.
If you have more questions, reach out to a local family law attorney.