In North America the divorce rate continues to affect one in two marriages resulting in a vast number of children and their parents facing turbulent times. Family Mediation has proven to help separating couples ease the emotional pain and address the challenges of separation and divorce; the most significant challenges being the children’s health and well being and preserving relationships between the children and their parents.

Family Mediation addresses:

The Parenting Plan

• the plan that supports and encourages the ongoing involvement by both parents and emphasizes the wish to maintain healthy, loving relationships between children and their parents
• seeks to establish an atmosphere of cooperation
• establishes time-sharing and decision-making as contemplated in a legal Separation Agreement
• defines roles and responsibilities
• establishes ways of communication that will support ongoing and necessary discussion about the children’s needs, now and in the future
• documents the details of the agreements reached in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to have a reference and/or  to have lawyers translate it into a legally-binding Separation Agreement

Specific family issues that may or may not need a Parenting Plan, but do impact on the separating couple, such as in the following examples:

• Blended Families
• New partners
• Mobility/relocation
• Grandparent access
• Family traditions, special celebrations and
• Special needs

Family mediation is entered voluntarily, and is a non-adversarial process that provides the parties with an opportunity to be the key decision-makers in their future. Marathon Mediation strives to ensure an efficient, economic and empowering experience that is in the best interests of all concerned.