Filing for child custody can be a painful process, not only emotionally but economically. Litigation in the United States and around the world does not come cheap; you will be forced to pay a hefty price for your child custody battle. However, there are more options available to you Child Custody Mediation Near Me. The most common option opposed to litigation is mediation. Mediation is a good alternative to litigation because mediation can cost fractions of what litigation will cost.
First off, mediation does not involve hiring a lawyer on your behalf. By not hiring a lawyer for your case, you are going to save lots of money. So if there are no lawyers involved then who will represent you? The answer to this question is you will represent yourself. With mediation your case will be held out of court and with no judge present. You will have to find a certified mediator; this mediator will be highly specialized in child custody litigation and will act as the standing judge of the case.
So after you and your spouse have decided you would like to give mediation a try, and you have found the proper mediator for your case, then what? This is where you need to be at the top of your game. Now that you do not have a lawyer working on your case, you will need to work on your case. Remember that the mediator is still a judge in a sense, so you will need to watch your tongue in the mediation room as well as have concrete evidence of why you should be granted custody of your child. Some of the key things that you need to remember when preparing for your custody mediation are as follows:
• Remember to keep your child out of the middle of the process. Do not talk harshly of your spouse or significant other to the child because the child will likely be present in the mediation room. The mediator could ask the child a question, and children are very likely to repeat what they have been told. Do not let this be your downfall in the mediation room
• Prepare a log of all the time you spend with your child as well as the activity that you did. This seems like a small inconvenience, but when you have solid evidence of caring for the child as well as helping him grow into and adult and your spouse does not, you will already have the competitive advantage.
• Next you will need to prepare some financial information. By making a quick rough cash budget of your earnings and how they are spent on a month to month basis, you will impress the mediator with not only your organizational skills, but with your parenting ability. By proving with physical numbers that you are more applicable to sustain the child than your significant other, you will be another step ahead towards winning your custody battle.
• Finally, make sure to be civil at all times. Do not lose your temper at any time at or near the mediation area. This is a pure sign that you’re not ready for the process of raising a child, and the mediator will definitely take this lapse of judgment and use it against you if at all possible.
Now that you know what it will take to have a leg up on your competition when it comes to mediation, you are ready to begin preparing for your custody battle. Remember that a mediator has almost the same power as a judge so his or her decision can be final. Do not take the mediation process lightly. However if you do feel that the mediation case was bias or not run properly, you can appeal to have the case taken into an actual court room. Remember how ever that mediation is significantly cheaper than litigation.
