Parents who are going through a divorce have a lot of things to consider. One of the most important is how they should go about crafting the terms of their parenting plan. This consequential document must be drafted thoughtfully, as it will govern each parent’s rights and responsibilities moving forward, to a truly significant degree.
If you’re in the process of creating a parenting plan, consider the following tips as you’re trying to figure out which terms will best reflect your child’s best interests.
Always put the kids’ needs first
The parenting plan should focus on what the children need. Think about what’s best for them and how they can have a stable life. There may be points that you and your ex see differently on. Try to keep an open mind and look at the suggestions based solely on how they impact the children. This may provide you with a starting point for determining what to include in the parenting plan.
Set the schedule
Old-school child custody schedules, such as one parent living with the children and the other only seeing them every other weekend, usually aren’t what’s best for the children. Instead of trying to shoehorn the parenting time schedule into a “traditional” schedule, think about how you and your ex can make the most of what time the children can spend with each parent.
Determine who makes decisions
Throughout a child’s life, their parents have to make decisions for them. You and your ex have to determine who will make those decisions. There are a few areas to consider, which typically include:
- Medical care
- Education
- Faith or religion
- Cultural upbringing
One parent can make decisions for all these areas or they can be divided between parents. Some parents choose to make decisions as a team for everything related to their children.
Working with a legal professional who’s able to discuss your situation with you and determine what issues should be covered in the parenting plan can take some of the stress out of the situation.
