No single plan guarantees raising your children to lead perfect adult lives. Every parent occasionally resorts to everything from books and advice from friends to trial-and-error to handle the myriad of issues their children experience as they mature. However, divorce introduces a new set of issues into the family, issues that can be reduced or eliminated when parents work together to create an effective parenting plan.
One way or another, a parenting plan will be in effect as part of your divorce settlement to address the many issues pertaining to parental time with the children. The real question is whether both parents will work together to create the plan that works best for all family members, or whether a judge will make these decisions arbitrarily. If you choose to retain control over these important decisions, you can begin by referring to the sample parenting plan provided by the New York Courts. This form makes sure you address all issues, such as the following:
- Weekday and weekend parenting time scheduling
- Summer scheduling considerations
- How holidays, birthdays and school breaks affect visitation
- Arrangements for alternate care, if required
- Issues affecting unanticipated scheduling changes
- Parents’ rights to communicate with their children during non-parenting times
The form also addresses other common concerns, for example, when parents must make decisions together and when one parent must inform the other important about important issues.
No one knows more about the details of your family’s life than you and your spouse. No matter how many disagreements led you to divorce, you need to come to agreement on child custody and visitations issues. A form provides you with a comprehensive guide to the decisions that need to be made for your children. Your attorney can help you reach your own customized agreement without leaving it to the discretion of a judge who knows nothing about you and your family.