Issues regarding the arrangements for children’s care can be some of the most difficult, painful, but important decisions separating and/or divorcing parents must make. Being a litigant in a dispute pending before the court usually compounds the difficulty and the pain by adding the unpleasantness of an adversarial proceeding, where (unless the parents reach an agreement) the decision will be made by a stranger with the power to impose a legally enforceable court order, often based on the findings of another stranger, such as an evaluator or recommending mediator.
I have had more than twenty years of experience as a Mediator, Evaluator, and Child Custody Recommending Counselor working with parents who had disputes in the family court system. I offer consultation to help one or both parents think through what arrangements for their child’s or children’s care (legal custody and parental time-share arrangements/schedules) would serve the child’s or children’s “best interests.” Parenting Plan Consultation may be especially useful when one parent is not willing to participate in mediation. Consultation sessions can take place before or after separation to help a parent consider ways to minimize the negative impact of the separation on her or his child or children. Additionally, Parenting Plan Consultation may be helpful when one or both parents are considering or have filed a family law motion to modify the arrangements for their children’s care after an order has been issued. Parenting Plan Consultation can help a parent formulate appropriate proposals to suggest to the other parent in order to try and avoid involvement in the adversarial court system. Such consultation also can help a parent prepare for confidential or recommending mediation, for a court-ordered evaluation, or for a contested hearing by coming to such procedures with a well thought-out plan. Parents can contract for such consultation directly with me or through their attorneys, who also might find it useful to confer with me, themselves.