Paternity issues relate to parties who have never been married but have children together. Often, the issues are very similar to custody and visitation issues in divorce proceedings. However, there are also potential complicating factors that are not seen in divorce cases, where there may be more than 1 father asserting paternity. There are also potential complications regarding  jurisdiction (which state should hear the case in the event that the parties reside in different states) as well as other difficulties not encountered in a divorce proceeding.

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Hiring an experienced mediator can help the parties sort through these issues in an efficient, expeditious manner. With the help of other trained professional counselors, all these issues can be successfully mediated so that a full agreement can be reached with a minimum of emotional trauma to the parents and the children. Just as in any custody proceeding, cooperation between the parents is essential to promote the emotional well being and stability of the children. Mediation is the best alternative to promote this goal