When you and your spouse decide you no longer wish to stay married and begin the divorce process, you will need to make many critical decisions that could impact you for a very long time, possibly the rest of your life. If you have children, one of these decisions will be the terms of your parenting plan.
There are several very important things that should be included in any parenting plan, and you may wish to add even more provisions based on the nature of your exact divorce. Because no two families are exactly alike, the terms of your plan must be created to fit your exact situation, which is where the counsel of a skilled Rocklin family attorney is invaluable.
Here are some things you should include in your parenting plan:
Custody and Visitation Agreements
These are easily the most important provisions of a parenting plan, as they determine which parent a child will with primarily live with (or joint custody if it will be an equal share), when they will visit with the non-custodial parent, and for how long. It can also make provisions for where the children involved will spend each holiday, and plenty more. This will form the foundation for many of the other provisions in your parenting plan.
Child Support Payments
Your parenting plan may include a provision for child support if the parent with primary custody needs financial assistance in order to adequately provide for the child’s best interests. This can sometimes be ordered by the court or agreed upon mutually by both parents, but it’s important to include the terms of this financial support in your parenting plan regardless of how it is determined.
Terms of Communication
Inevitably there will come a time when parents will need to communicate with each other over a particular issue, and this could become a problem, especially when a divorce does not end smoothly. When this is the case, a judge or an attorney may suggest that you add provisions for how to communicate in situations such as emergencies, requests to travel, and more. So long as both parents stick to the terms of the plan, then it should help prevent any major disagreements.
When you need assistance drafting a parenting plan that is specifically tailored to the exact needs of your family, trust your case to the experienced family lawyers at the Myers Family Law Our team of attorneys understands the difficulty and stress a family law issue can bring up and we work diligently to provide compassionate legal counsel that may bring you to the best possible resolution. Let us show you the difference that having a Board Certified Family Law Specialist can provide you with.
Call Myers Family Law today at (916) 634-0067 and schedule a consultation for your family law needs.