Is mediation required for the modification of a parent-child?
Almost all civil cases require mediation before going to trial. The idea being that if it can be resolved in mediation it frees up the court to handle more complicated cases and cases where an agreement couldnt be reached in mediation. The biggest difference between court ordered mediation and binding arbitration is that neither party is bound by the mediators decisions during the mediation process. The only way that to skip mediation is if both parents agree to the modification. At that point mediation will not be required as there is nothing to mediate, both parties already agree. The attorneys will present the signed modification documents to the court in a brief hearing. As long as there are no obvious irregularities with the agreed upon modification, the judge will approve the order and the process is done. Disclaimer: I am not an attorney licensed to practice in any jurisdiction of the United States, Canada or any other political subdivision on the planet of Earth. Any answers provided are based on my own personal experiences with divorce, child custody, custody modification and child support cases that have worked their way through the courts in the State of Texas. This answer in no way implies an attorney client relationship or any other legal relationship between the questioner and the answerer.