ADR CORNER
ADR CORNER
Doggone It: Get Me a Mediator!( Continued)
TAMI L. AUGEN RHODES
8. Residence and Relocation: Where does the doggie go if one, or both, pet parents moves? Consider clear provisions and distance definitions when it may no longer be feasible to have shared pet custody. Whose address will be used for county pet registration purposes? Consider provisions to account for what the use of one party’ s address will mean.
9. Jurisdiction: What happens if you do not reserve jurisdiction? Do not find out – instead, remember to reserve jurisdiction in your final judgment for the Court to address any pet provisions you agree to in a mediated agreement.
Often, family cases come down to one issue – the unwillingness of either party to give up the family pet. Rather than risk the guaranteed all-or-nothing outcome the Court must determine, show your client the benefit of continuing to share the love via a shared pet custody plan: an outcome that is only possible via cooperation at mediation or other ADR process.
Tami L. Augen Rhodes has practiced Marital and Family Law for 28 years. She is the Founder and President of the Palm Beach Academy of Collaborative Professionals; a Guardian Ad Litem; a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator; and a Qualified Parenting Coordinator for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.
For additional ADR tips and resources, go to https:// www. palmbeachbar. org / alternativedispute-resolution-committee
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PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 8