By Tehila Feldbaum (Attorney Mediator)

Your marriage is ending, but what about your relationship with your kids? Divorce terminates your relationship as Husband and Wife, but you will always be co-parents to your children.

That’s the simple fact. The unwritten part is how? How will you continue your parental relationship with your children in this new context of post-divorce? 

Maryland courts require a custody agreement or schedule, and calculation of child support according to Maryland Child Support Guidelines in order to be granted a divorce. But often, your family needs more. 

In practicality, divorce necessitates plans and agreements beyond schedules and money in order to successfully navigate the dramatic shift in family structure. Couples will deal with “real life” questions that are not limited to where the children are sleeping tonight. For example, a couple may wonder, how often, if at all, should the children be able to speak with the non-custodial parent? How do co-parents communicate regarding any matters for the minor children (i.e. school struggles, behavior issues, class trips, etc.)?  How will they determine the children’s extracurriculars? Disagreements will inevitably come up as the parents co-parent post-divorce. Couples’ thoughtful consideration about future dispute resolution is crucial for long-term co-parenting success. 

No two families are the same and no family remains the same as it was post-divorce. Maryland Divorce Mediators recognizes each family’s unique dynamics and circumstances. We’ll help create a custody schedule, but more importantly a coparenting plan that supports the continued relationships of each parent with the Minor Child(ren). We encourage continued positive coparenting relationship between the parties for the best interest of the children. 

How Mediation Can Help Foster A Positive Co-Parenting Relationship.

Though mediation, Maryland Divorce Mediators assists couples in practically transitioning from coparenting in one home to coparenting in two separate homes. Mediation allows the space to address and preemptively solve issues beyond custody. We will create a plan to resolve conflict post-divorce. While no process can predict every possible issue, our goal is to avoid conflict in the future as much as possible and to help the parties prepare to deal with conflict productively and amicably when it arises. Maryland Divorce Mediators believes the parties should be given the tools to work through disagreements that arise in the future without needing third party intervention. Mediation also provides parents the ability to come back for help as needed. Sometimes, couples can reassess a custody schedule or coparenting plan and any resulting issues, without raising the level of conflict or prolonging the resolution of the issues by initiating litigation. 

Planning for coparenting post-divorce can be a challenge. Mediation may be the solution. Maryland Divorce Mediators can help make this transition smoother and easier for your entire family.