Five Tips for Creating a Parenting Plan That Actually Works

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What are my custody rights if the other parent moves?”

Not all child custody cases proceed to court. In North Carolina, divorced or separated parents have the option to work out a parenting plan among themselves. Your parenting plan should outline a detailed schedule for timesharing and set forth the parents’ responsibilities and duties.

Yes, an effective parenting plan would be ideal for both parents and their children. However, creating a good plan that actually works can be difficult, which is why it is vital to consult with a skilled family law attorney to guide you and help you create a thorough and detailed parenting plan.

How to Create a Parenting Plan That Works

There are five tips for creating an effective and workable parenting plan with your children’s best interests in mind.

1. Your Plan Must be Detail-Oriented

Your parenting plan should contain the specifics as to the time of exchange, a holiday visitation schedule, financial aspects of parenting time, and other issues surrounding child custody.

Unless your parenting plan is detail-oriented, you may not be prepared for future disagreements. Your parenting plan should provide guidance in the event such disagreements arise.

2. Your Plan Must be Foolproof

While your parenting plan should be clear and detailed, it should also address all foreseeable issues that may arise between the parties. Just because you are able to co-parent successfully and maintain a healthy relationship with your ex-spouse or partner now does not necessarily mean that it will stay this way forever.

Thus, your plan must be foolproof by addressing all anticipated or foreseeable scenarios.

3. You Must be Willing to Compromise

Keep in mind that you are creating a parenting plan that serves your children’s best interests. Often, what that means is that you should be prepared to compromise and give up your own preferences in order to make sure that the parenting plan is the best one possible for your children.

4. Remember That Your Children are Growing

Just because your parenting plan works while your child is 6 does not necessarily mean that the plan will be equally effective when your child becomes a teenager. Therefore, you need to make sure that your plan stands the test of time.

In some cases, it may make sense to include provisions that would allow parents to modify their effective parenting plan when their kids grow up or reach a specific age.

5. Consult with an Attorney to Draft a Workable Parenting Plan

Experienced family law attorneys have drafted hundreds – if not thousands – of parenting plans for all sorts of couples and all kinds of situations. A skilled attorney can help you draft an effective parenting plan because he or she knows what works and what does not.

Your lawyer will make sure that you create a parenting plan that encompasses all foreseeable situations, aspects, and issues that may arise while co-parenting. Schedule a consultation with our experienced child custody attorneys in Charlotte to discuss your particular situation. Get a phone or video consultation by calling at (704) 370-2828 to speak with our detail-oriented and well-versed lawyers with offices in Charlotte, Lake Norman, and Monroe, please contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC today or find additional resources here.

The family law practice group at Arnold & Smith, PLLC includes two Board-Certified Family Law specialists and one Child Welfare Law specialist, as well as several attorneys with many years of family law experience that are committed to providing a powerful voice to individuals facing the often-tumultuous issues in this area of law. The range of issues our family law clients may be facing include pre- and post-nuptial agreements; separation agreements; post-separation support; child support (both temporary and permanent); absolute divorce; divorce from bed and board; military divorce; equitable distribution of assets; child custody (both temporary and permanent); retirement benefits and divorce; alimony and spousal support; adoption; and emancipation. Because this area of the law is usually emotionally charged and complicated, the family law attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC act with the utmost dedication to ensure that each client understands his or her options, and then act to achieve the best result possible for that client’s particular situation.

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