Tips To Help You Co-Parent In Florida
While never speaking again may be an option for couples who are choosing to divorce and do not have kids, things are more complicated when there are children involved. The parenting connection can continue for years after a marriage ends. To smoothly communicate and co-parent, it is important to have legal documents in place.
Parenting agreements can make expectations clear and give both parents guidelines to follow. Determining what will work best for you and your family may take some negotiation, an Orlando divorce lawyer can guide you through the process.
Outline How You Will Communicate
It is common for divorced spouses to have difficulties communicating, such as a conversation escalating into an argument. For this reason, many co-parents find it helpful to outline how parenting concerns will be communicated within a parenting plan. Some find calendar applications useful for this purpose. Others are open to communicating through short texts but want to refrain from talking on the phone unless there is an emergency.
A key point to make is that the communication between the parents should be occurring to help smooth the transition from house to house for the kids, not for the adults to address their own personal grievances. Knowing yourself and what will or will not work for you is part of finding the right resolution.
Scheduling and Consistency
For some families transitions happen during the workweek while others opt to transport a child from one home to the other on weekends. In order to make the process fluid for the kids, parents can agree to a handful of household rules, such as what time for meals and sleep. Additionally, there could be clothes, toys, and books for the child to use at both homes, so the kid will not have to worry in the event something is forgotten.
Naturally, each family has its own needs and scheduling will depend on the jobs of the parents and other family commitments. If the parents are committed to working together to co-parent effectively, there can be some flexibility included in a parenting plan as well. For example, the parents could agree to be open to scheduling changes if there is a set amount of notice.
Divorce can be extremely emotional and it may be difficult to think of a person you were married to as anyone other than your spouse. But once a divorce is finalized, they are not your spouse, they are your co-parent. In order to create a healthy environment for the children and the adults, parenting agreements should be negotiated and finalized. Discuss your situation with an Orlando divorce lawyer to get started.
Talk to an Orlando Divorce Lawyer Today
Do you need help with legal documents to lay the groundwork for your co-parenting relationship? If you have questions about co-parenting and child support payments, the experienced family attorneys at the Donna Hung Law Group have the skills to secure the future you want. Our lawyers are qualified in mediation negotiations and divorce agreements. Call or contact the office today to schedule an initial evaluation.
