Our children are near and dear to our hearts. When marriages break up, many of the most difficult issues pertain to a couple’s children. Most of the time, both parents want what is best for the kids. However, it can be difficult to come to an agreement about how to handle custody and visitation issues because parental judgment may differ. That’s where family dispute resolution comes into play.
In an ideal circumstance, parents have similar ideas about what is best for their kids in terms of where the kids should live, go to school, and so on. Sometimes, however, they do not. In an even worse circumstance, one or both parents does not have the child’s best interest at heart or is not healthy enough to have a proper perspective on what is best for the child.
It is in circumstances like these that family dispute resolution is used by the court system. When the parents cannot come to an agreement, the family dispute resolution program helps by conducting services such as child custody evaluations and mediations.
The goal is to help families craft their own agreement about child custody and visitation issues. Dispute resolution allows parents to play a critical part in creating their own agreement for the approval of a judge. When it is successful, dispute resolution can often help the parties avoid a hearing in front of a judge about controverted issues.
The law sets forth three goals when family dispute resolution is used for custody or visitation matters:
- mitigating negative relationships between the parents;
- developing an agreement that serves the child’s best interests in a way that, ideally, continues contact with both parents; and
- resolving custody and visitation issues in the best interest of the child.
At the end of family dispute resolution, the mediator helps to draft the parties’ agreement.
If you have questions about custody or visitation issues, you should consult with an experienced California lawyer. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Judy L. Burger will provide authoritative legal support tailored to your specific situation. Make the call today to learn how our attorneys can help: (415) 293-8314.