Child Custody & Visitation Mediation

Child Custody & Visitation Mediation Do you wish there was a way to make getting a separation from your significant other or divorce from your spouse easier on your children? Mediation helps preserve and maintain whatever is left of the good part of your relationship by significantly reducing the tension of getting a divorce. Parties who mediate their family law matters are typically able to reach an agreement that first serves the “best interests” of their children and then themselves. rnWho is best suited to make decisions about your children? Typically the parties are more satisfied by having arrived at their own "solutions" to the problems as opposed to having a judge ram a decision against you both that neither party may like. How do you know if mediation is right for you? Mediation may be an option if each party wants to save money for their children’s interest instead of paying excessive fees to their lawyers and if both parties wish to reach and create a thorough agreement in a short period of time usually a month or so as opposed to waiting close to 14 months for the traditional and contested divorce to play out. rnWould you like to reduce the fees involved in child custody for the same results? If you are able to Mediate your child custody matter it reduces costs significantly. Eliminating costs means that money can be spent on the children and their education. Instead of spending upwards of $ 10,000 each and usually more on attorney fees, you can spend less than $ 1,000 each through Amaral’s Online Divorce Mediation (ODM) program found at www.OnlineDivorceMediation.Com. Child Custody & Visitation FAQ'S What is child custody? Child custody is a term that refers to the rights and responsibilities that a parent carries with respect to his/her child. What is child visitation and a "Parenting Plan"? The term "child visitation" refers to the time when the non-custodial parent has the right to be with the child. The custodial parent's right to be with the child is often subject to the non-custodial parent's right to visit with the child. The term "parenting plan" refers to the agreement between the parents or the court order which defines provisions for custody and visitation. The parenting plan also defines when the child is to be with the non-custodial parent. What factors determine custody and visitation? The primary consideration is, "What is in the best interest of the child?" Child Support FAQ'S What is child support? Child support is a payment by one parent (often the "non-custodial parent") to the other parent for the support of their common child. It is in the best interest of a child for both parents to be obligated to pay for the support of their child. What is a child support order? A Child Support Order is a document from a court that states (a) when, (b) how often, and (c) how much a parent is to pay for child support. A Child Support Order is typically part of a divorce decree or paternity judgment. Who can be ordered to pay it? A court can order either parent of a child to pay support to other parent. The court order for support is usually payable on a monthly basis. Many states now require that child support be paid by wage assignment (automatic deductions from the paycheck) whenever available, thus reducing the need for subsequent enforcement actions.