Child custody matters are sometimes decided by the court; however, parents can work together to resolve the issues that come up. When you and your ex can work together to resolve child custody issues, you can put your child first.
One of the possible ways that you can resolve child custody issues is through mediation. This option involves you and your ex working with an impartial mediator who can help to keep the negotiations moving forward and serve as a go-between if you and your ex can’t communicate directly.
Arbitration is also possible. In this case, you would present your case to an arbitrator. The arbitrator would then make decisions about what needs to happen. The decisions of the arbitrator aren’t necessarily final, but you and the court can take the decisions into consideration.
If you and your ex are able to communicate directly with each other and negotiate in a civilized manner, you might try to use informal negotiations. These work much in the same way as mediation but without the help of a mediator.
When you use these methods of determining child custody issues, you and your ex will sign the agreement that you come to. It is then presented to the court for final approval. It then becomes the child custody order.
No matter what type of process you use to determine the child custody matters, you need to think carefully about what is best for your child. In the end, you can always try for a child custody modification if there are points that aren’t working any longer.
Source: FindLaw, “Working Together to Resolve Custody,” accessed May 05, 2017
