Providing Divorce Mediation Services Throughout California
Better Outcomes, Less Stress Divorce Mediation That Works for You
Divorce is never easy, and the frustration often comes from fighting over important decisions like child custody and visitation rights. Fortunately, the battle doesn’t have to be long and exhausting with the help of a child custody mediator Dina Haddad and her Family First Mediation.
With our child custody mediation, divorcing spouses come to an agreement that works for everyone and is in the child’s best interests. All this can be achieved without a courtroom battle that wastes precious time and resources.
Dina Haddad offers a free consultation to divorcing spouses looking to work out child custody and visitation matters without a courtroom.
In this article, we explore all you need to know about child custody mediation in California, including its benefits, tips on how to prepare, myths, and much more.
Child custody mediation is a process where a neutral third-party child custody mediator helps parents reach an agreement regarding child custody and visitation. Mediation sessions focus on promoting cooperation, reducing conflict, and prioritising the child’s best interests.
In child custody mediation, attorney mediators and divorce mediators both play significant roles in facilitating communication between divorcing parents to an agreeable term.
The key difference is that an attorney mediator has legal expertise to advise on the legal implications of proposed agreements. In contrast, a divorce mediator primarily focuses on facilitating communication and exploring options without providing legal expertise.
In California, there are some do’s and don’ts of child custody mediation, and some include the kind of cases you can mediate. Child custody disputes cases that can be mediated include:
However, cases involving child abuse, neglect, or domestic violence may not be suitable for mediation. You will have to contact your attorney for a more legal approach (litigation) to such a severe situation.
While you will be guided through every step by our mediators, it’s still worthwhile to know the steps involved in mediation. This makes it easier to prepare and keep track of the entire process to know when it’s near completion.
The custody mediation process involves:
For this process to work, both parties should attend the mediation session with the mindset of reaching a positive agreement regarding their child’s welfare.
All decisions will primarily revolve around what’s best for the child, rather than the parents.
After mediation, if both parents successfully reach an agreement, the final decision is submitted to a California family law court for approval. When approved, the agreement becomes a legally binding court order that both parents must follow.
However, if no agreement is reached, one of the parents will have to file a custody petition where the case will proceed to a court hearing where a judge will make decisions regarding custody based on the child’s interests.
Mediation lawyers help parents understand the options for custody as it applies to their case. The mediator helps the parents create options and solutions for both physical and legal custody.
The difference between divorce mediation lawyers and divorce lawyers is that the former prioritizes cooperation and mutual understanding. On the other hand, the latter focuses on their client’s desired outcome, even if it’s not in the child’s best interest.
With a divorce mediation attorney, you can expect them to help both parents identify common goals and interests, promoting cooperation and collaboration.
Although these mediators are lawyers, they use their legal expertise to provide legal options, but also can create a safe and constructive environment for both parents to discuss sensitive issues.
On the other hand, working with a traditional divorce lawyer means they are invested in your interest and will steer the case as best as they can to your benefit.
This may sound beneficial, but can also cost a great deal of time and money. It may also hurt your co-parenting relationship and opportunity to settle.
Child custody & visitation mediation are incredibly beneficial to parents because it:
In simpler terms, custody and visitation mediation can help parents create a loving, stable, conducive, and supportive environment for their child.
Coming to a peaceful understanding is crucial as studies show both parents being in a child’s life helps their development and future confidence.
Just like how you will prepare for a court hearing, you need to do the same here. But how do you prepare for child custody mediation in California?
Ideally, you want to prepare yourself by being committed to the mediation process. In addition, you may have additional information that you want to gather like:
You might also consider a desired custody schedule to discuss with the mediator. However, most mediators will have a set way to walk you through all the necessary points of conversation.
You do not need to resolve it on your own to be prepared for the mediation. Instead, I encourage parties to come with the mindset of cooperation and commitment to the process.
One important part of preparing for child custody mediation is understanding the mediation process. This also includes what to say and what not to say in custody mediation.
These topics and more will be discussed at Families First Mediation, but parents are free to bring them up. You can ask for details about:
You can also ask about any specific concerns about your child’s needs as the primary focus of the entire session is the child’s well-being.
Before attending mediation sessions, here is a list of what’s required to ensure each session move smoothly:
For the child’s calendar, it should show days off, early dismissal days, parent-teacher conference days, and any important field trips. Write down schedules of all the extracurricular activities that your child participates in or plans to participate in.
Child custody is an important part of divorce, and it can be exhausting when both parties don’t see eye to eye. If this is your situation, we can make it easier at Families First Mediation.
We have a team of passionate and professional child custody mediators, who understand your situation and can help reach an agreement with your partner. No need for lengthy and expensive court sessions.
Contact your California child custody mediator at Families First Mediation today!
The cost of child custody mediation in California varies depending on the mediator’s fees, the complexity of the case, and the number of mediation sessions.
Relevant documents may include court documents, financial records, your child school and extracurricular activities calendar, parenting plans, and communication records.
It depends on the kind of mediation you are attending. For private mediation, typically it is only the parents that are at the mediation with the mediator. However, in some cases, the mediation may be more of a settlement conference and the parents’ attorneys are present.
Need Help? Book Your Free Consult.
About Us:
Families First Mediation is a pioneer in the field of divorce mediation. Our entire divorce mediation team takes great pride in being active trainers, divorce mediators and teachers of mediation in the greater California area. If you are considering a collaborative divorce, legal seperation or looking for a san jose divorce lawyer we have services that may be beneficial to you. Take advantage of our vast expertise and background in the field of divorce mediation and our genuine desire to help with your divorce mediation services.
Copyright © 2025 · Families First Mediation All Rights Reserved.
