Family Mediation Services
Trailhead Mediation is experienced in mediating many family-based disputes- from separation and divorce, to creating original parenting plans, to helping parents reformulate those plans as needs evolve over time. As a neutral, we do not offer legal advice to parties. Instead, our role is to create a safe neutral space for productive discussion, support parties in generating and reality testing options, and assist in memorializing any agreements parties are able to negotiate with one another. Read on to learn more about the kinds of matters we mediate.
Separation, Divorce, Committed Intimate Relationships
Trailhead Mediation offers a range of services for parties navigating through a trial separation or the end of a long term relationship, including:
identifying goals
creating interim arrangements
gathering and sharing financial information
making arrangements for children or other dependents
working collaboratively with experts (attorneys, career counselors, financial planners, tax professionals, etc.) on complex issues
Parenting Plans
When it comes to planning for children’s needs, court can be a one-size fits none proposition. Mediation gives co-parents an opportunity to develop a tailored plan based on the parties own values, goals, and practical constraints. Mediation can also save everyone the expense and stress of a drawn-out legal battle - giving kids the security of parents who agree on a plan and co-parents relief from uncertainty.
Trailhead Mediation facilitates planning and decision-making on a wide range of topics- from a workable residential and holiday schedules, and navigating medical issues to special challenges like communication between co-parents, children’s use of social media and tech, participation in extracurricular activities, travel, and how to integrate new partners into your plan.
Parenting Plan Modifications
You did the work, you have a plan, the court process is done. Then someone moves, someone’s job changes, someone has a medical issue (i.e. life rolls on) and the plan on paper no longer works in the real world. Time to come back to the table.
Trailhead Mediation is ready to help parents adjust the plan as life changes, whether that means:
working to find agreement on issues outside of the parenting plan;
negotiating minor modifications to an existing parenting plan; or
going back to the drawing board to jointly craft a proposal for major modifications to an existing parenting plan.
We can help you stay focused, talk through the tough trade offs, and collaborate on a workable plan.
“Once parents’ formal relationship has ended, they often find themselves in a no-mans land, trying to navigate complex issues that a court won’t or can’t effectively assist with. Mediation offers privacy, creates a safe space for discussion, and helps focus co-parents on the issues that matter most. Parents love their children, and if they can be empowered to work together they usually find the best options for them. It is a joy to be part of that process, and to watch them build confidence and communication skills in mediation that turn down the temperature for everyone and allow more joy in family moments across homes.”- Elisa Ford