Are you going through the divorce process? Do you have at least one child with your soon to be former spouse?
This can make for a challenging future if both parents aren’t on the same page. Fortunately, through the use of a shared parenting plan, you may find that it’s easier than you imagined to raise your child.
Shared parenting, as the name suggests, is an arrangement in which both parents take on the responsibility of doing whatever is in the best interest of the child. In order for this to work, both parents must be willing to make joint decisions while communicating with each other on a regular basis.
Some of the issues that parents must agree on include:
— Financial responsibilities
— Parenting time
— Education
— Religion
— Extracurricular activities
With so many high level decisions to be made, it goes without saying that there may be disputes every now and again. This is natural and to be expected. To help avoid a serious conflict, make sure your parenting agreement has language regarding how to resolve disputes. This will give you a starting point if you are finding it difficult to reach a compromise.
Shared parenting could be just what you’ve been looking for. As long as your ex-spouse is on board with the idea, it may be the arrangement that works best for all parties involved. With the ability for the plan to evolve over time, both parents and the child (or children) will find that shared parenting is a good way for everyone to stay involved.
Source: FindLaw, “Shared Parenting vs. Sole Custody,” accessed Feb. 02, 2017
