With the new year comes new possibilities. Setting parenting goals is as important as establishing your own goals for personal achievements. Here are two tools that might help break down and rebuild a better parenting relationship.
Private Mediation
When you return to court to address parenting issues, all California courts have a counseling service called Family Court Services (FCS) for you to attend. The service allows you to meet with a trained mediator at no cost to help parents reach agreements before going to court. These agreements can be turned into court orders by the judge. Family law rules require you to meet with a mediator before the hearing. If you’re not scheduled for court, you and your ex can hire a private mediator to assist you in resolving parenting conflicts.
Parenting Software Programs
If there are issues with the other parent being unreliable or untrustworthy, having a single point of parenting communication contact can help alleviate scheduling issues or, alternatively, serve to keep a record as evidence if you return to court. The program is typically set up where FCS, the judge, and attorneys involved in the case can tap into your information exchanges. This third-party accessibility is useful for the court and others to see and identify specific parenting problems. One online program commonly used is OurFamilyWizard.com. Other parenting programs are also available online, and you should investigate which one would be best for your needs.
Parenting is a lifetime relationship with your ex. Finding new, effective, and successful ways of dealing with each other can only enrich the lives of both parents as well as those of the children.
About Arlene
Engaged for decades in the Northern California legal community, Arlene D. Kock is a past member of the Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA) Board of Directors. She served on their Attorney Referral Panel for many years and was the past chair of their Ethics and Civility Committee. In her capacity on that committee, Arlene was instrumental in assisting the team in preparing and creating the ACBA statement of professionalism and civility, a policy that is expected to be adhered to today by the court and litigants. She is currently a member of the ACBA and the Contra Costa County Bar Association.
