Paternity matters typically involve parenting plans, time-sharing, decision-making, child support, and day-to-day logistics for families who were not married. These matters often focus on establishing workable routines, clarifying responsibilities, and structuring arrangements that support consistency and stability for the child or children.
How Mediation Helps In This Context
Discussions can focus on a range of issues, including parenting schedules, communication, and day-to-day logistics, by testing proposed arrangements against actual routines, calendars, and practical constraints. They can define communication and other protocols and work to align expectations so routine adjustments can be managed without creating new disputes.
Common Issues
- Time-sharing schedules and holidays
- Decision-making and parental responsibility
- Child support and expense sharing
- Information sharing related to school, health care, and activities
Some Considerations For Counsel Preparing For Mediation
- Identify relevant school calendars and fixed work schedules
- Consider proposed exchange times and locations that are practical and consistent
- Identify communication methods for schedule updates, such as a shared calendar, a co-parenting app, or a single agreed channel for routine messages
- Consider how schedule delays or last-minute changes will be communicated and confirmed