Is It Possible To Exclude Phone Calls Within A Parenting Plan?

Co-parenting children isn’t always easy, but there are tools that can help you and your ex-spouse share parental responsibilities and navigate a custody schedule. If you and your former partner are able to develop a parenting plan together, it can serve as a guide and help to sidestep future disputes. One of the things a parent may want to include in a parenting plan is how communication will take place.

Some parents don’t appreciate it when their ex-spouse calls during their parenting time, particularly if there are many calls to connect with kids and check up on their daily routine. In a parenting plan, you can outline when phone calls are appropriate and how often communication will occur, providing there is not a pressing issue to attend to. Clear parameters can pave the way to a healthy co-parenting relationship. Talk to an experienced Orlando divorce lawyer to learn more.

Set Communication Times May Be a Solution

Naturally, each family has its own unique needs. In some situations, the solution to communication disputes is to set specific communication times. So, for example, if one parent often travels for work and has to miss their scheduled parenting time due to geographical disruptions, the parent could have an online video call or a phone call with their kids on days during that time period.

Or maybe a weekly call from the other parent will provide consistency for the kids as they transition from one home to two. Having a set time, say Wednesdays at 6 pm, can provide a scheduled time for kids to expect to chat and allow the adults to plan their week around the call, instead of never knowing when the kids will be contacted.

Allowing for Unexpected Occurrences

There are times when an unexpected event will happen and communication outside of scheduled calls will need to take place. During a collaborative divorce, you and your soon-to-be-ex spouse can work with an Orlando divorce lawyer to outline when calls outside of a set schedule are appropriate.

Many find it advantageous to remember that parenting plans are helpful tools, and that developing a parenting plan is not something that will result in winners and losers. Parenting plans are simply guidelines to follow as parents transition from parenting as a married couple to co-parenting as single individuals who used to be married. 

Do you find your ex calling your home during your scheduled parenting time to talk to the kids frustrating? Discuss what rules you would like to include in a parenting plan with a legal expert. Negotiation can lead to a parenting plan that contains guidelines all parties are comfortable with, the knowledgeable family law attorneys at the Donna Hung Law Group can help you craft that plan. Our attorneys will carefully listen to your story and once we understand where you are now, we can guide you to the future you are seeking. Call us at 407-999-0099 to get your questions answered. Or contact us online to schedule an initial evaluation.