Unfortunately, Michigan joint custody mediation isn’t for everyone, and it has several disadvantages. Here’s the downside:
The Other Parent May Not Cooperate
In Michigan child custody mediation you cannot force the other side to participate. If one parent refuses to participate, or if one parent does show up but takes a completely unreasonable position; it won’t work.
Child custody mediators do not have the power to compel someone to cooperate, and they cannot impose a decision. If the mediation sessions don’t result in an agreement, nothing tangible is accomplished.
The Other Parent May Dominate
One of the reasons why you may hire a lawyer is to equalize the relative bargaining positions. If one parent is exceptionally domineering or manipulative, the lawyers can help to offset the imbalance.
But when the lawyers are removed-as in Michigan joint custody mediation-you and the other parent are right back to your former roles. This lets someone who lies or hides information effectively sabotage the negotiations, or bring about a result that would not have occurred otherwise. The lack of extensive pretrial discovery is one reason why mediation costs less, but discovery is also an important check-and-balance in the adversarial system.
The Other Parent May Scare You
In mediation, a parent who has been victimized by prior acts of abuse or violence will lose some protection. Because mediation usually brings the parents together in the same room, a parent who is afraid for his or her own safety may be intimidated and unable to fully participate in the process.
Because of this, some states allow the parents to be excused from court-required mediation, while others allow each parent to meet with the mediator privately.
Michigan joint custody can be resolved in many ways, mediation being one of them. If you find that mediation does not work for you then there are other routes to take.
Brent Delaurentis is a father of a 6 year old girl and webmaster of a child custody blog. Because he went through a long and painful custody battle he knows exactly how parents who have to go through this feel. That’s why he recommends The Child Custody Strategy Package ceated by 2 child custody experts Dr. Bricklin and Dr. Elliot. This proven strategy package goes into great detail how any mother or father in a custody battle can win their custody case. With free bonuses like the Child Custody Checklist (49 actions to take to help you win your custody case) it is the single greatest investment a mother or father can make when in a custody dispute. Win Your Custody Case
Tags: Child custody mediators, Michigan child custody mediation, Michigan joint custody
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