Divorce can be a respectful, cost-effective and relatively low-stress process. It can also be a contentious, adversarial and expensive war between two people who can't stand one another. Ultimately, the choice is up to you and your spouse. If both sides of your marriage are capable of being reasonable, respectful and fair, it will do a lot to ease tensions during the marital breakup. When it comes to divorcing parents, however, they also need to think about reducing the chances of conflict after their divorce, as they will be raising their children together as co-parents for many years to come.
Covering the following basics in a carefully-drafted parenting plan can help reduce the chances of future conflict between two divorcing parents:
Guidelines for making updates to the parenting agreement
Your child will have different parenting needs as he or she grows older. You and your spouse's situations and needs could change as well. As such, parents need to include an action plan for altering and updating their parenting agreement when required.
A description of physical custody arrangements
The parents should clearly state whether they will share physical custody or if the children will only live with one of them full time.
The visitation schedule for the noncustodial parent
It's vital for the noncustodial parent to spend quality, unhindered time with his or her children. The parenting plant should provide details guidelines for how and when these visits should occur.
A skilled and experienced Hartford family law attorney can help two parents cross their T's and dot their I's when it comes to drafting a well-written parenting plan. Make sure you understand all the most important areas of this document before you sign the dotted line.
