A Scottsdale Divorce Lawyer Explains Why You Should Mediate Child Custody Disputes
January 22, 2015

In any divorce involving children, the matter of child custody will be one of the most important and contentious issues in the process. If both spouses cannot work together to reach an acceptable child custody agreement, the matter will go to family court where it will be decided in a trial. This is the worst possible outcome, however, and any Scottsdale divorce lawyer will advise you to do what you can to avoid it.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

There are several alternate dispute resolution avenues available to you that you might want to consider instead. Virtually anything is better than having a judge, who does not know either you or your children, decide the fate of your children for the next several years based on a few hours of testimony. It is highly recommended that you consider mediation in order to resolve any disputes you have with your spouse; studies show that people are far more likely to comply with an agreement that they had a hand in developing than one that was unilaterally handed down by a judge with almost no input from them.

Mediation as a Potential Option

Mediation is rapidly gaining broad support as a method of alternate dispute resolution. Your Scottsdale divorce lawyer will likely be able to recommend some they have worked with before. The typical mediator has taken extensive mediation training and has a good deal of expertise in the family law field. The only people involved in the discussions are usually the mediator and both spouses.

Settle the Dispute with an Attorney’s Help

For more information on methods of alternate dispute resolution, consider talking to a Scottsdale divorce attorney at Thomas Law Office, PLC, at (602) 788-1395.