On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Wednesday, August 28, 2013.
Even when an initial legal split between a couple with children is amicable, unforeseen issues can arise months or years later that can complicate relations between ex-spouses and bring negative emotions to the forefront. One way to ease tensions from the outset is to use a neutral third party or mediator when going through the divorce process in Illinois. Emotional issues often come to the forefront during and after divorce. Instead of resorting to litigation to solve a problem, using a mediator can maintain peace and civility.
Even if one parent demands sole custody of children, most of the time, custody ends up being shared between parents. Beyond custody issues, mediation can help divorced couple determine time allocations with children, determine ground rules that everyone should follow, and schedule schooling and activities. Over time, questions such as whether one parent can take children out of the state for a vacation will also come up. Divorce mediation can help with that too.
Many people believe that negotiations stops when a divorce is finalized. In many cases, nothing is further from the truth, especially when children are involved. As children grow, new issues develop, some of which can be troublesome, even for parents who stay together. Returning to mediation whenever a difficult situation appears will keep children’s best interests at heart and pave a smoother road for co-parenting.
Working with a seasoned divorce and family law attorney in Illinois may give divorcing couples many different options for managing not only legal issues, but social and parenting concerns too, and it may mitigate the effects of the split. In addition, experienced attorneys are trained to remain impartial and may help divorcing couples make the best possible legal decisions for their children.
Source: Huffington Post, “Using Mediation to Keep Your Cool During Divorce and Beyond“, Silvana D. Raso, August 27, 2013