Mediation...... any advice???

[MeeG]

I already started a thread about this but i thought i'd do another one jus to see if i can get some more ideas......

i have my mediation booked for the 20th of september, whoo hoo should b fun.... even thu bubs isnt born yet, anyways i jus wanna know for those who have been thru it, what kinda agreements did u come too??? what stuff did u talk about besides... visitations and holidays??? can u make child support a part of a condition???

any advice would b great thanks in advance

[Illusional]

Fathers day, Xmas day, Easter (good friday or sunday etc), Childs Birthday, Fathers Birthday, any important family dates (ie: your mums bday, dads bday etc...).

It's important that you get everything out and agreed on now - even if it isnt relative until a few years away.
I have ongoing issues with my ex in regards to whether I can have our daughter on the weekends if I have something special happening. (undoubtably anything special for me always happens when he has her)

We don't have a legal order written up - ours is verbal between each other - and he always ends up coming off better than me seeing as I'm so nice and just don't want the rubbish from him if I was to ask for something else.

But basically - we have our daughter half of any important days.. ie xmas, easter sunday, and we have her for the full day on a day that is specifically ours ie: fathers day, mothers day, birthdays. (if it falls on the others regular visitation day)

Child Support I dont believe you could specify - as it is done through either Centrelink(if you are claiming Sole Parent Payment), or directly through the CSA and will be determined by his income.
If hes on the dole you wont get squat (i get a whopping $8.23 a month off my ex).

I would still ask your mediation advisor about it though - because if he is on the dole you could still suggest an amount and have him agree to it (if hes half decent he'd pay anyways).

Also (if he is on the dole and you arent going to be getting a decent amount of child support off him) dont forget things like childcare, school fees, doctors bills.. all the things that you dont think about until you get the bill for them (and yes once again I realise things like that are ages away yet - but unless you want to go through it all again - do it all now)
Clothing, shoes, etc.

I dont get any outside help for all three of my kids.. besides the $8.23 CS .. so think carefully about everything you are going to need help with that relates directly to the wellbeing of your baby, now and in the future