MEDIATING A PARENTING PLAN

---

If you are committed to working for your children’s best interest Our mediators are trained to help

Simply put, a Parenting Plan . . .

• is a “blueprint” for how children will be co-parented from separate households.
• provides for the physical care and emotional stability of minor children
• encourages both parents to continue to fulfill their parenting responsibilities through a shared, written agreement
• begins with a shared belief by both parents that it is in the best interest of their children to have as full a relationship with both parents as possible.

A Parenting Plan is required by the court. It is a separate document filed with the court along with a financial plan and a property settlement agreement.

Essential Elements to a Parenting Plan:

• Custody
• Parenting time
• Transition plan
• Holidays
• Vacation time
• Access to school and medical records
• Decision making
• Participation and support of activities
• Communication between mother and father
• Children’s communication with parents and family
• What about others who may care for the children?
• How will discipline be approached?

Benefits of Mediating a Parenting Plan

Children’s interests are central to decision-making – mediating a plan allows both parties to come together in a safe, neutral environment, generate options, and focus on the best interests of the child.

Provides a model for how to handle future disagreements – mediation helps to lay out the details for on-going, parent-to-parent communication.

Provides for ‘Reality Testing – Reality testing involves planning for the “what ifs” that life throws your way. Because they’ve “seen it all”, our experienced mediators bring an extensive list of “what ifs” to the table for discussion and planning.

Offers a high rate of compliance with the agreement – because both parties have worked together to create the agreement there is a high rate of compliance with the terms and conditions included.

How Long Does Mediating a Parenting Plan Take?

A typical Parenting Plan can take from 2 to 3 mediation sessions of several hours each to complete.

Scheduling a Parenting Plan Mediation Session:

To begin the process of mediating a Parenting Plan, simply call our offices at (973) 402-1009. As mediation is a voluntary process, both parties must agree to mediating a Plan. Each party will receive a Consent to Mediate form. Once a signed consent form is received from both parties the first session will be scheduled as soon as possible.

Mediators are neutral facilitators, and it is not their role to give legal advice or to counsel the parties regarding the choices they make. Longview Mediation encourages and advises you to consult an attorney or other professional for advice, and to help you understand and become familiar with your individual circumstance. A mediated Parenting Plan is a legally binding document.