No one goes into a relationship thinking about how it will end, but the reality is that sometimes relationships do come to an end. When that happens and there’re children involved, it’s important to have a co-parenting plan in place. This document should contain:
A detailed schedule
Usually, a detailed schedule will include when the children will be with each parent and for how long. The schedule should also take into account things like holidays, school breaks and extracurricular activities. For instance, if one parent has the kids during the week and the other parent has them on weekends, that should be clearly stated in the schedule.
Family law attorneys also stress on the fact that the schedule should also be flexible enough to accommodate changes as needed. For example, if one parent gets a new job that requires them to travel frequently, the schedule may need to get adjusted to accommodate that.
An agreement on the decision-making process
It’s important to agree on how major decisions regarding the children will be made. For example, who will have the final say when it comes to things, like education and medical care? Will both parents need to agree on every decision or will one parent have the final say?
This is something that should be discussed and decided before there are any problems. That way, if there is a disagreement, both parents will know how to proceed.
A plan for communication
It’s important to have a plan for communication, especially if the relationship between the parents gets strained. For example, will both parents be able to communicate directly with each other or will they need to use a third party? How often should they communicate and about what?
Again, this is something that you should determine before there are any problems so that everyone knows what to expect.
A good co-parenting plan will take all of these things into account and more. It’s important to sit down with the other parent and discuss what needs to be included in the plan. By doing this, you can make sure that everyone is on the same page and that the best interests of the children are always kept in mind.