How an Attorney Can Help You Create a Parenting Agreement
When ironing out the details of your custody arrangement, you will need to come up with a parenting plan. This is often required by state law for your custody arrangement to be legal. It's best to come up with a parenting plan while working closely with a family law attorney.
The Importance of a Parenting Agreement
There are many decisions that need to be made regarding your child when you are undergoing a divorce. This can include:
- Which religion your child is raised under
- How your child's health decisions will be made
- How your child will be educated
- Lifestyle decisions made regarding your child
The parenting plan will also determine custody and child-sharing agreements. It will determine who has the children during the week and who has the children on the weekend. However, there are downsides to coming up with a parenting agreement on your own.
The Judge Might Not Accept the Parenting Agreement
If the judge believes that the parenting agreement is not in the best interest of your children, they might not approve the parenting agreement. Also, if the judge does not believe that one or both parents can meet the requirements of the parenting agreement, it might not be approved.
For example, if your agreement requires that one parent travel a very long distance to meet their obligations, the judge might reject the agreement. However, if you work with a family law attorney, you may be able to avoid this type of rejection.
Temporary Vs. Permanent Parenting Plans
In some cases, a temporary parenting plan is put into place until the marriage has been fully dissolved. Then, a more permanent parenting plan will be put in place. If you are not happy with the temporary parenting plan, speak with an attorney about having your temporary plan amended.
The parenting plan should change over time as your child ages and matures. However, one consistent factor is that the judge will typically consider it in the best interest of the child to have a relationship with both parents.
If you believe that you are struggling to have a relationship with your child due to the actions of the other parent, make sure to bring this up with your attorney and with the judge if you are not able to resolve the issue out of court. While you have legal options available to you, a lawyer might have easier solutions available.
To learn more, contact a family law attorney near you.