Jennifer Leigh Rankin, LLC

As part of a divorce or domestic partnership separation, separating partners settle the key issues involved under the court's direction through a final court order. The issues often initially resolved include child custody and visitation or access, child support and other forms of support. 
Although these agreements are established to last long term, there are many instances in which circumstances change either for the separated parties or the children involved. Some changes may include special needs which may arise for the children, the working environment and income can change for a parent, and former spouses and partners fail to meet their financial support obligations. 
When these circumstances occur and the parties are not able to mutually agree on a new schedule or support, the court will need to approve any modifications necessary to make the arrangements appropriate for everyone involved. 

Child support modification and other post-divorce and post-separation-related modifications do not necessarily need to be handled in courtroom litigation. In fact, there are a number of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods that help clients save time, money and stress with much less contentious negotiation process. Frederick post-divorce mediation lawyer Jennifer Leigh Rankin helps clients establish modification agreements through mediation, collaborative law and other negotiation methods. She is also a trained mediator who can serve as a neutral in your negotiations. 

In the process of mediation, both parties can meet with Ms. Rankin, as the neutral mediator.   Ms. Rankin will help you establish an agenda for the negotiations and facilitate theagreement. She will walk you through every step of the ADR process and help you establish an arrangement that will work for you and then be incorporated by the court in an order, if necessary. 

Ms. Rankin also works as a parenting coordinator. In this role she works with parents on regular basis to address the specific needs of the family. Often separated parents are given a general court order which addresses the big picture of access or decision making but leaves out the day to day detail which at times becomes cumbersome and impossible for parents in conflict. Divorced and separated parents find it difficult to make mutual decisions, even the “small” decisions which are affecting their children, and attorney Rankin's parenting coordination services help clients get through these issues and come to resolution.