As a father going through the divorce process, you may have concerns about your future with your children.
Since you want to be part of their life in the future, you need to consider all your legal options. For many, this means learning more about a shared parenting plan.
This isn’t the only way to ensure that you get to spend time with your children in the future, but it’s one of the best steps you can take.
When it comes to matters of child custody, both parents should be on board with the idea of doing what is best for their children. Even though your marriage has come to an end, it doesn’t mean that your entire relationship stops there. Instead, if you have children together, you must work together to ensure their well being.
The details of a shared parenting agreement
Every family law court will make decisions based on the best interests of the children. Rather than fight against this and risk an outcome that you’re not happy with, it often makes sense to discuss a shared parenting plan.
For a shared parenting plan to work, both parents must be able to communicate in a clear, efficient, effective, and friendly manner. This doesn’t mean that problems will never arise, but it does mean that you have to be on the same page at all times. Clear communication makes it easier to make mutual decisions that benefit the children.
When creating an agreement, both parents must hash out details regarding:
- Financial responsibilities, such as who will pay for what.
- Parenting time arrangements.
- Educational decisions, such as which school the children will attend.
- Medical care.
- Religion.
- Extracurricular activities.
Taking this one step further, don’t hesitate to include language for resolving disputes. You’ll do your best to avoid these, but you never know when something could pop up. It’s good to have a system in place for resolving a problem if you can’t find a compromise.
It’s natural for fathers to worry about their parent-child relationship after a divorce. If this is a concern, a shared parenting plan is something to consider. Discuss this with your spouse as soon as possible, as this will give both of you the opportunity to learn more and to work together to create the right type of agreement.
