You and your spouse may have both formed a lasting bond with the two dogs that you share, and now that the two of you are determined to go through with divorce proceedings, the family pets may be at risk of being taken away from you. If your spouse is determined to keep the dogs with him and you are arguing frequently about the unjust expectation that your former partner has, a divorce mediation session may provide you with some relief.
The History Of The Pets
Forming a bond with pets is similar to a bond that is made with a child. You may have invested a lot of time and money in your pets, and being placed in a situation where you no longer have access to your companions can cause depression and anger.
A mediator will encourage you and your spouse to sit down and communicate about the care of the animals and come up with a plan that will provide both of you with ample time with the dogs. The history concerning how the dogs were acquired, who provided the most care for the pets thus far, and your individual roles concerning grooming, exercise, and medical care will be addressed.
The situation involving the role of a caregiver may have fluctuated on occasion, which won't necessarily mean that a mediator will be more supportive of your spouse retaining ownership of the dogs because you were previously working many hours that kept you away from your pets.
The Examining Of Different Scenarios
After relaying information, the mediator will present some scenarios that you and your spouse can explore further. Maybe they will suggest that you form a joint ownership agreement. With this type of arrangement, the dogs will spend time at your home and at your spouse's home, and the two of you would need to make pickup and drop off plans, which will allow the pets to be exchanged.
Another option is to allow the pets to remain with one person for the majority of the time and the other person to spend a couple of days each week with the pets. Your spouse may have originally decided that he was going to keep the pets, due to being mad about the divorce proceedings and wanting to hurt you in the process, or maybe he was fearful that you would retaliate and keep the pets from him.
With the guidance offered from a divorce mediatior's perspective, your former partner may soften up some and be receptive to both of you spending time with the dogs. An informal or informal agreement will aid with a smooth transition into a new pet care schedule.
Share
