Current policy requires that child custody and placement decisions be made on a case-by-case basis, pursuant to “best interests of the child” standard. This can lead to unpredictable and varied decisions, when these issues are tried to the court. Mediation of these topics can provide co-parents or third party guardians with a higher measure of control over custody and placement topics in dispute.
Parenting Plan Mediation
Mediation of parenting plans involves helping you and your child’s other parent negotiate and make decisions together about important issues that need to be resolved when parents are living apart. Our mediators have specialized training and experience to help parents communicate and resolve misunderstandings. We help parents remain in control of what happens to their child upon separation or divorce, and develop resolutions that are tailored to their specific circumstances and goals. Parental agreements can be more durable than court orders following contested custody and placement proceedings, as parents are usually more motivated to follow “rules” they had a hand in creating than ones imposed upon them by the Court.
When mediating child custody/placement disputes, whether between divorcing parents, never-married parents, third-parties/grandparents, or co-parents who separated/divorced years ago, Stoltz Hendrickson LLC practices child-inclusive mediation. This means that every dispute involving parenting time and contact will involve and incorporate the views of your children. During your initial consultation and after, we will discuss various options and develop a plan together for how to involve and incorporate your children’s views in mediation of topics that affect them.
Guardian ad Litem Appointments
Our attorneys are regularly appointed by the Court to serve as Guardians ad Litem (“GALs”) in a variety of cases involving custody and placement disputes, such as: divorce, paternity, third-party/grandparent visitation, and post-judgment matters. The GAL’s function in family court is to zealously advocate for the best interests of children who are affected by legal disputes about them.
Serving as a GAL in Wisconsin requires continued specialized education and training. Our attorneys regularly attend continuing legal education to enable us to accept GAL appointments in complex family law disputes. We also assist in providing training to new or aspiring GALs, by serving on the faculty of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Annual Guardian ad Litem Training, and by speaking on GAL topics at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Parenting Coordination
Parenting coordination is a child-focused dispute resolution process in which a mental health or legal professional with mediation training and experience assists co-parents with implementing their parenting plan by facilitating the resolution of their disputes in a timely manner, educating parents about children’s needs, and with prior approval of the parties and/or the court, making decisions within the scope of the court order or appointment contract. Contact Stoltz Hendrickson for more information about our parenting coordination services.