Are you no longer living with your child’s other parent but hoping to embark on a successful co-parenting relationship? Many people facing similar circumstances find that creating carefully thought-out parenting plans amid divorce helps them establish and maintain successful co-parenting relationships with their exes.
Co-parenting plans vary broadly in terms of what they cover, and their content may prove quite different for a teenager than it would for, say, a newborn. However, it often benefits you to hash out certain matters ahead of time so you and your ex have something to abide by when it comes to raising your shared child. What matters might you want to work through in your plan?
Custody and time-sharing guidelines
A solid parenting plan should dictate where a shared child spends his or her time and when. Successful parenting plans typically address matters that extend beyond the simple custody agreement and include decisions regarding where a child spends holidays, vacations and so on. You may also want to stipulate in your parenting plan who is responsible for transporting a child back and forth between homes if you live far apart or expect this to raise ire.
Contingency plans that address future variables
Planning ahead may work wonders for helping you and your ex keep the peace. What if one of you takes a job in another city or state? If one of you remarries, does that change the existing parenting plan? Do you wish to revisit and edit the plan once your child reaches a certain age? Working through these matters ahead of time can help prevent potential conflicts or court battles throughout your child’s adolescence.
While these are some common matters parents address when developing parenting plans, there are numerous other areas that may also come into play. Once you have your parenting plan drafted, consider giving it a trial run for six months to make sure it works for everyone.