Child custody battles can easily become tense, bitter, and dramatic. These emotions then cause decisions to be made hastily or with anger, which many can regret down the road. Child custody battles are important, as they determine the parent or parents that will take responsibility over the children. As a child custody attorney in Orlando, we know that these cases take many factors into account, such as parent mental states, living situations, wages, presence, and much more. Because of the nature of child custody cases, there are many reasons why it is beneficial to settle these issues in mediation.
One of the greatest benefits of choosing mediation to settle your child custody case is to save time, money, and aggravation. Many people who choose mediation will settle their case months before it would even see a courthouse. This enables both parties to move forward with their lives, which will also give the children an opportunity to do so as well. Also, the long, drawn out legal process can rack up an expensive legal bill.
Many family law practices that specialize in child custody will want both parents to go through a mediation process at the beginning anyways. Often times, judges will push for this to save themselves the time and court resources before taking on the case. They want to see if your issues can be settled without litigation, as it typically involves an adversarial process that the courts know is costly and emotional.
When you go through a child custody battle, many people are affected. Family members, friends, and colleagues will be dragged through your process as well. However, when you choose mediation, it is a private matter. This means that the parents will be able to discuss your issues privately with an attorney that is sworn to confidentiality.
Even though you are fighting for their custody, you should consider mediation for the sake of the children. When you engage long legal proceedings, their lives can be negatively affected for many months. They will need to hear about the bitterness and drama that goes on in court. Prevent this from happening by settling in mediation before the proceedings ever see a courtroom.
These are just a few of the main reasons why you should consider mediation to settle your child custody case with your ex. The children will benefit from the lack of drama and emotional toll that it would spare the family. When it comes time for you to decide the child custody arrangement, you will want to have our child custody attorney in Orlando on your mediation team. Contact us to schedule a consultation today.