Learn How Child Custody Works Today With LI Divorce Mediation
Most, but not all parents, value their roles as parents and want to be good parents to their children. Then divorce rears it’s ugly head. We have no-fault divorce on Long Island which means that if one Spouse wants to get a divorce, it will happen. So divorce happens and now it is harder to be good parents to those children.
“Dr. Kramer is an amazing therapist. She listens first and then offers her thoughts in a resolution. With her many years of experience, she has a way of making things very positive. I often went into a session angry and left with a whole new and brighter outlook on things; and that’s just within a 1 hour session. To this day, my spouse and I are still practicing what she taught us. I would highly recommend her to anyone who seeks services – Dave Walker”
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Years ago, one parent would be awarded custody of the children. The other parent became the every-other-weekend parent – not the primary parent. Times have changed and with it, attitudes about child custody in New York. Now, it is usual for both parents to step forward and insist on joint legal child custody. The Judges now accept this choice.
So on Long Island, most divorcing couples, especially if they are divorcing through divorce mediation on Long Island, choose joint legal custody. But Child Custody has two aspect: legal and residential. Legal Child Custody refers to making major decisions about the child’s life. Residential Custody refers to where the children live most of the time.
Most couples divorcing on Long Island choose joint legal custody with one parent having the residential choice. However, most couples decide to split more of the children’s time than in the past.
The ultimate, of course, is half and half time. Even when one parent has the children for the majority of the time, the other parent stays in touch via text and cell phone. The days of the isolated non-custodial parent are mostly in the past. Ordinarily the residential custodial parent’s home address is the address for the child’s school enrollment.
Children’s Custody is one of the major issues to be negotiated during Divorce Mediation on Long Island. For an in-depth look at some of the possibilities,
During divorce mediation Long Island sessions, child support can be a major issue, to be negotiated right along with custody.
One of the benefits of a mediated divorce rather than a litigated one is that you have much more flexibility in making the Child Support numbers fit your circumstances. We, of course, highly recommend Divorce Mediation on Long Island as it is faster, less expensive, less stressful and family friendly. It will help your children as compared to a litigated divorce.
Given the involvement of both divorced parents in the raising of their children, and their cooperation, children of divorce do very well. However, when the divorced parents continue to struggle with each other and the children are pulled into the mix, there are problems.
Even when the custody is joint and the support works, the children are at risk to develop behavioral and emotional problems. Therefore, we highly recommend that when couples go through Divorce Mediation on Long Island, that they force themselves to work out their differences for the sake of the children. We, ourselves offer post-divorce counseling sessions to family members who have gone through divorce mediation on Long Island.
To learn more, contact us at the Long Island Center for Divorce Mediation for a FREE CONSULTATION – 631-757-1553 or Email:info@lidivorcemediation.com.
Visit our FAQ page to learn about the other aspects of divorcing in NY.