Your divorce will affect you and your children in many ways. Even though things are changing, there are steps you can take to maintain stability in your personal and financial lives. For example, the creation of a parenting agreement will give you direction post-divorce.
The key to creating a successful parenting agreement is ensuring that it addresses all your concerns. When it does, you’re less likely to run into a situation that stresses you out and/or results in an argument.
Here are some key concerns your parenting agreement should address:
Where your children will live: In short, you should have a clear idea of who has physical custody and who has visitation rights.
If one or both parents have legal custody: This isn’t the same as physical custody. Instead, legal custody decides who will make key decisions related to things such as education, religion and healthcare.
Contact with extended family: Many divorcing couples neglect to think about this, and it quickly leads to a disagreement. Your parenting agreement can outline how to manage contact with grandparents and other extended family members.
A dispute resolution system: Outline the steps you’ll take in the event of a dispute or the need for a parenting agreement modification. You’ll be glad this is here in the event that you run into trouble.
Don’t rush through the process of negotiating and creating a parenting agreement because you simply want to put your divorce in the past. When you take the right steps during this time, you’ll end up with a parenting agreement that provides guidance and protects your legal rights.