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How a mediator can help parents resolve conflict around a move

On Behalf of | Dec 19, 2016 | Firm News

When parents in Texas divorce, they might agree that they will continue to live in roughly the same vicinity for the sake of the children. However, when one parent decides to move to live closer to a new partner, this might cause problems with child visitation times. The move may be disruptive to the ex-spouse’s own life and their child’s life, and they may resent the added commute. The parent may feel as though they are in the right by refusing to cooperate with the parent who moves.

However, even though it might feel unfair, the parent might need to compromise for the sake of the child. It is the child who will miss out the most if they are unable to see the other parent.

Mediation may be the key to solving this conflict. By working with a professional who is trying to get a positive result for both parties, parents can discuss how they will handle changes in transportation and scheduling. If one parent is spending more on transportation or less time with the child, child support amounts might change. It may be necessary for one parent to do more to help the child settle in their new area.

Co-parenting after a divorce can be challenging. Parents may use mediation during the divorce process as well and to write their parenting plan in order to create an effective blueprint for co-parenting. However, even if parents put specific agreements in their parenting plan about how they will handle things like extracurricular activities, as their children grow up and situations change, those agreements may need to be amended. Parents can work with the mediator to learn conflict resolution skills, and they could also insert an agreement into the parenting plan to visit a mediator when they cannot resolve a conflict in the future.

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