Portland/Beaverton Divorce Mediator Matthew House, J.D.:
Child-Centered Divorce Coaching and Divorce Parenting Plans
Matthew House is the premier child-centered divorce mediator in Oregon -- the only one who has a law degree, seven years as a K-12 educator, two decades as a professional mentor and teen advocate, service as a mentor to college fraternities, and an uninterrupted history of providing free services to the pre-teen, teen, and college-age children of his clients.
Matthew has 20 years of experience drafting parenting plans for children of all ages. He drafts comprehensive plans that meet the requirements of the Circuit Court and also include dozens of optional provisions that he will suggest in your particular circumstances.
Many people believe that a parenting plan is the same as a parenting time schedule. That interpretation is not surprising, given that the state's parenting plan templates are largely focused on parenting time and exchanges. Real life is more than just moving back and forth, so it makes sense that people who rely on a written plan to eliminate conflict in scheduling would also need a written agreement as to the other logistical details.
In keeping with his goal of being thorough while also encouraging parents to see each other as ongoing parts of an 'ohana (extended family) rather than merely parties to a contract, Matthew understands that no one should be left to fend for themselves or hope that they can just "work it out" when the time comes. It may be that two divorced parents can communicate swimmingly for many years, but that should not be relied upon as a substitute for a written plan. Matthew will provide many suggestions -- a few of which are necessary to address and many of which can either be addressed or omitted in the agreement as the clients prefer -- to decide in advance how they will agree to handle certain issues that may arise later.
Matthew has 20 years of experience drafting parenting plans for children of all ages. He drafts comprehensive plans that meet the requirements of the Circuit Court and also include dozens of optional provisions that he will suggest in your particular circumstances.
Many people believe that a parenting plan is the same as a parenting time schedule. That interpretation is not surprising, given that the state's parenting plan templates are largely focused on parenting time and exchanges. Real life is more than just moving back and forth, so it makes sense that people who rely on a written plan to eliminate conflict in scheduling would also need a written agreement as to the other logistical details.
In keeping with his goal of being thorough while also encouraging parents to see each other as ongoing parts of an 'ohana (extended family) rather than merely parties to a contract, Matthew understands that no one should be left to fend for themselves or hope that they can just "work it out" when the time comes. It may be that two divorced parents can communicate swimmingly for many years, but that should not be relied upon as a substitute for a written plan. Matthew will provide many suggestions -- a few of which are necessary to address and many of which can either be addressed or omitted in the agreement as the clients prefer -- to decide in advance how they will agree to handle certain issues that may arise later.