Creating Workable Parenting Protocols
If you have decided that the best path forward for your family is divorce, developing a strong and fair parenting plan can be one of the most significant challenges. Parents tend not to agree on how to divide time with their children, in large part because they love them so much and cannot envision life without seeing them every day. But, the harsh reality with divorce is that developing a custody agreement (also known as a parenting plan) is what needs to happen in order to move forward with your life. AMS Mediation understands how difficult this aspect of a divorce can be and has extensive experience creating workable parenting protocols to set limits, define boundaries and expectations so that a child custody agreement can be successful for a family.
Read Full Article →
Finding support during a divorce is one of the biggest challenges. You may feel alone and overwhelmed and not know where to look for help. Family, friends and co-workers may offer help but may not know how to really address your specific needs. Professional help can come in many forms, and it is extremely important to find a good match that meets your budget and can be scheduled at a time that is convenient for you.
Many people assume that working with a lawyer to navigate a divorce is a necessary path forward. The assumption is that a lawyer will fight for your rights and help you “win” a settlement that will be in your best interest long-term. This win/lose outcome is one of the most problematic aspects of settling your divorce with the courts. Litigation is adversarial and pits you and your ex against each other. This is difficult during the divorce but also has its drawbacks when it comes to the aftermath as well. Particularly if you share children, finding common ground is much more important than winning a single battle. Mediation offers you a safe and effective way to resolve the important aspects of your divorce without a win/lose solution.
AMS Mediation offers divorcing couples the services of a professional Custody Evaluator (CE) for those living in Dakota County, Minnesota. Couples who decide to get divorced experience a great deal of stress. When a divorcing couple also share children, the stress is magnified. A custody evaluation involves a professional assessment of what is in the best interest of your children regarding the custody agreement in your divorce settlement. The process involves extensive interviews and psychological assessments to ensure that your children are put in the best possible situation following your divorce. AMS Mediation’s custody evaluation process often involves observing the parents’ interactions with their children
When you begin thinking about a divorce, it is hard to anticipate all of the ways your decision will impact you family. It is easy to focus on the months (or years) of unhappiness, the intensity of the conflict and the need to separate to alleviate the stress. Those feelings can be simply overwhelming. AMS Mediation can help you anticipate the effect of your decision to divorce on everyone in your life. When you are able to focus on your future, the impact of divorce can shift from all of the pain to more hope for life after divorce.
Making the final decision to divorce is extremely painful and difficult, especially if you are a parent and share children with your soon to be ex-spouse. After all, you are making a decision that not only will change your life significantly, but this decision will also alter the lives of your children. The idea that you may not see your children each and every day is hard for you as well as your kids. When it comes to making the important decisions about your divorce, it is easy to be overwhelmed with emotion and have trouble determining the best possible next steps. The experienced team at AMS Mediation offers parenting mediation services that can help make decisions about your divorce (and after divorce) that continue to put your children first.