A peaceful way to negotiate a parenting plan

 Posted on October 05, 2018 in Divorce

One of the most difficult issues to address during divorce is what will happen to the children. Texas parents are naturally concerned with the well-being of the youngest members of the family, and many times, they want to avoid litigation and stressful conflict for the benefit of the kids. You may want to do this by drafting your own parenting plan out of court.

A parenting plan will outline how custody and visitation will work. When you decide to keep this matter out of court, you can effectively address specific needs and craft your plan to match your specific objective. Creating your own parenting plan can be a peaceful and productive way to address child custody concerns during your divorce.

What makes a strong plan?

A parenting plan should be as thorough as possible. When you are able to be very detailed and specific in the terms you include, you are reducing your chance of continued conflict in the future. Some of the things you would be wise to include in your parenting plan include the following:

• Outlining with which parent the child will legally reside and how often he or she will go between the parents' houses
• Whether or not the child will be able to see extended family members, and if so, the conditions of those visits
• Legal custody, which is a parent's right to make important decisions on behalf of his or her child
• How parents will deal with holidays and have time with the child

Parents can even use the terms of their parenting plan to outline how they will deal with conflict in the future when disputes arise. Your custody and visitation plan can be as specific as you need it to be, particularly when addressing things that may be unique to your family, such as your child's medical needs, unusual work schedules and more.

Help from the very beginning

Drafting a parenting plan is important, and it has significant implications for the future of your family. It is beneficial to be thoughtful and thorough, not allowing temporary emotions to drive your decisions and be the motivation behind your choices.

As you work through issues related to child custody and other divorce-related concerns, you will find it helpful to work under the guidance of an experienced attorney who can help you make smart and practical choices. Learn more about parenting plans and how you can shield your parental rights by seeking an evaluation of your case before you move forward.