One option is mediation, where the court may recommend or order both parents to meet with a mediator who can work to help the parents reach consensus on areas of disagreement. Mediators are professionals trained in conflict management. They can find ways to encourage both parents to compromise on important child custody issues.
In a high-conflict divorce, where the parents still cannot come to an agreement on child custody, the use of a child custody evaluator may be triggered. In this case, the court will appoint a child custody evaluator who will speak with both parents and the children.
Child custody evaluators often have a background in social work or counseling uk whatsapp number list , which helps provide insight into family dynamics and the needs of the children. Once the evaluator has reviewed the relevant documents and spoken with people close to the children, the evaluator will submit a final report that goes directly to the presiding judge. Judges are not required to adopt the evaluator's recommendations, but they often consider the evaluation to be important evidence that can be used to establish child custody.
Child custody proceedings
When parents reach an agreement on child custody through negotiation or mediation, the agreement becomes binding once the judge approves its contents. Alternatively, the judge may consider the opinion of a child custody evaluator. In either case, the judge can still make key decisions about the proposed child custody agreement during the court proceedings.
If no agreement is reached, the judge must make a decision regarding child custody.
