Drafting a Comprehensive Parenting Plan

Ending a marriage is never easy and the process can become even more complicated when couples share children. One way to help ease the transition from a single two-parent household to two one-parent households, however, is to draft a comprehensive parenting plan. This can help ensure that the children’s best interests remain at the forefront of decisions regarding visitation schedules and the division of parental decision-making responsibility. Read on to learn more about how to create a comprehensive parenting plan that will help set the foundation for more successful co-parenting in your family.

The Components of a Comprehensive Parenting Plan 

Coming up with a comprehensive parenting plan requires that couples address a number of important divorce-related issues, including:

• Visitation schedules, including when the child will spend which days with each parent and how the parents will share holidays;
• How hand-offs will be made between visits (e.g. who will be responsible for transporting the child);
• How decisions regarding the child’s healthcare, education, and religion will be made;
• Communication guidelines, including how the parents will communicate with their child during the other parent’s visitation time and how technology can be utilized to enhance communication; and
• How parents will resolve disagreements regarding childcare-related issues.

Parents can be as detailed as they desire when crafting their parenting plans. For instance, many parents agree in their plans to use a shared calendar to help them coordinate their activities, to send text messages for casual communication, but to use email for official communication, and to make major decisions in-person. By covering these issues in detail, parents can help establish clear expectations for each other and can minimize conflict, thereby ensuring their child’s stability.

The Challenges of Co-Parenting 

Co-parenting after divorce can be challenging, especially when families are grappling with certain circumstances, like long-distance parenting or blended families. In these scenarios, having a clear-cut and compressive parenting plan that establishes expectations regarding visitation, communication, and financial responsibilities can go a long way towards easing this process. It’s also beneficial for parents to tailor their plans to their own unique circumstances. Some parents, for instance, may need to make different plans for children with special needs, or to help foster relationships with extended family members. Drafting a comprehensive parenting plan is one of the best ways to achieve this. Furthermore, these parenting plans, once approved by the court, become legally binding, which means that parents must comply with their terms or they face penalties from the court.

Call Cairns Law Today for Legal Help 

A detailed and comprehensive parenting plan can help co-parents ensure that their children remain the top priority during divorce, while also clarifying their rights and obligations as parents. At Cairns Law, we know how difficult drafting such a plan can be and are eager to put our resources and experience to use in your own case. Call our experienced and compassionate Largo child custody lawyers at 727-683-1472 to learn more about how we can help with your own parenting plan-related questions and concerns.

Sources: 

flcourts.gov/content/download/686031/file_pdf/995a.pdf

floridarevenue.com/childsupport/parenting_time_plans/Pages/default.aspx