When it's time to update a parenting plan, many parents assume the next step is calling an attorney and heading back to court. But if you and your co-parent are both willing to sit down and talk through what needs to change, mediation is often a faster, more affordable, and less adversarial path to the same result: an updated parenting plan that fits your family today.

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You know your family best.

As a mediator, my role is to help you and your co-parent sort through what's changed since your original plan was put in place. This could be a new job, a move, or a change in your child's school or activities. We work through the practical details together. Instead of each of you working through an attorney to negotiate on your behalf, you're in the room together, talking directly about what your child needs now. That direct communication tends to produce plans that actually work in daily life, because you're the ones who understand your children's needs and routines best.

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Protecting how you co-parent.

Mediation also protects your ability to co-parenting well. Modification handled through separate attorneys and court filings can sometimes become adversarial, even when neither parent wants this. One of the most devastating things I've seen as a mediator is parents who have to return to court for every tiny scheduling decision, because the adversarial nature of their conflict has escalated for so many years. Mediation, on the other hand, de-escalates conflict, focuses on problem-solving, and creates a better foundation for years of co-parenting still ahead of you.  

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What mediation is - and isn't.

As a Tennessee Rule 31 Listed mediator, I facilitate your conversation and help you reach an agreement. However, a mediator does not represent either parent or provide legal advice. Instead, many parents choose to have an attorney review the final agreement before it is submitted to the court, and I'm glad to work alongside that process. What mediation offers is a structured, guided space to work out the details together first, so that by the time attorneys are involved (if at all), you're finalizing an agreement you both already understand and support — not starting a negotiation from scratch.

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If your parenting plan needs updating, let's talk about whether mediation is the right fit for your situation.