How to Establish a Co-Parenting Plan After a Divorce

If you have children, establishing a co-parenting plan is one of the most important steps you will take during your divorce. This plan will affect the lives of the entire family, so it is important to proceed very carefully. Even a minor oversight can have tremendous effects on you, your children, and your former spouse. So, what is the best way to establish a rock-solid co-parenting plan during your divorce? While there are many schools of thought, one of the best strategies is to choose a collaborative divorce. This process gives you a greater degree of control while minimizing negative effects on the children.

Of course, you will need to team up with a qualified family law attorney before you start taking your first steps toward a positive resolution and an effective co-parenting plan. Our legal professionals can provide you with excellent advice, allowing you to craft your parenting plan without making unnecessary mistakes. If you would like to handle this process via a collaborative divorce, it makes sense to connect with an attorney who has plenty of experience with collaborative law.

Co-parenting is necessary when parents share custody. Shared custody is when children split time between both parents. The exact details of the parenting plan depend on a few factors. First of all, a judge might create a co-parenting plan on your behalf if you and your spouse cannot agree on one yourselves. This is something you generally want to avoid, as it leaves you with less control over what happens within your family. For example, a judge might decide that the children should spend time with you during the weekend despite the fact that you work on the weekends.

Collaborative law can certainly help spouses who are trying to establish a co-parenting plan. This process takes place behind closed doors, with both spouses and their attorneys working together to create a positive resolution. During these negotiations, both spouses have a chance to voice their concerns and work together to craft an effective co-parenting plan. You know your family better than a judge ever could, so you are in the best position to decide what’s in your family’s best interests.

Perhaps Jimmy has soccer practice on Wednesdays, so it might be better to keep him at the home closest to the field on that day. Maybe you go fishing on Saturdays with your friends, so you would rather have your spouse take the kids on that day. Whatever the case might be, you and your spouse can work around these issues to find a solution that works for everyone.

Your attorneys can facilitate these negotiations and speak on your behalf in certain situations, and this can keep the meetings from becoming hostile. In addition, your attorneys can help you draft a co-parenting plan which will then be presented to the courts for approval. One of the best things about this process is that it takes less time and typically involves fewer court fees compared to an all-out custody trial.

The collaborative divorce process also involves less stress for your children, as they will not be dragged through a long trial. Your children will also see that both parents are working together in a cooperative manner rather than fighting it out in court during a custody battle, and this can be helpful for their mental health.

Crafting a co-parenting plan might be an important step, but it is rarely easy. This is because both parents usually want to spend as much time as possible with their children, and this is completely understandable. In a perfect world, both parents would continue to play a central role in the lives of their children. Unfortunately, this just is not possible, as there is not enough time in the world. With all that being said, you can come to a positive, mutually-beneficial arrangement with your former spouse with the help of a qualified collaborative law attorney.

If you have been searching the North Carolina area for an attorney who has plenty of experience with collaborative divorce, look no further than Arnold & Smith, PLLC. Over the years, we have helped spouses with every aspect of their divorces, including child custody issues. With our help, you can resolve this problem through a collaborative, civilized, and relatively easy process. Collaborative law is cheaper and quicker than going through a custody battle in court, and it puts much less stress on the children. Book your consultation today, and we can explore all of your legal options together.