Family Law Attorney: 3 Vital Things To Include In Your Parenting Plan
You got married to your lovely spouse, expecting to enjoy a beautiful marriage together forever. Unfortunately, your marriage could end for several reasons, and it's usually more devastating when you have kids. But even as you prepare to part ways and start separate lives, you should both bear the needs of your kids in mind. In this case, creating an effective parenting plan is usually the best thing to do. The plan helps ensure your kids enjoy their rights and have a stable lifestyle, even if you no longer live together. However, most spouses don't know much about a parenting plan and what it should include. Luckily, a family law attorney can help you create a reliable and perfect one. If you are creating a parenting plan, here are three things you should include.
Schedule
Time is perhaps the most critical thing you should manage well after the divorce. Your parenting plan should indicate how each of you will interact with the kids, and the time you spend with them. Usually, the time you spend with your kids shows them that you are concerned about their needs and care for them. So you should create favorable daily schedules to ensure that you both have quality time with them. You could agree to see them early in the morning and even take them to school or perhaps pick them up in the evening. However, the schedule or time frames shouldn't cause any disruption or conflicts between you.
Expenses
You also need to identify all the expenses related to your child and create a spreadsheet for them. This is critical because child support is usually inevitable during the divorce. Actually, it's one of the critical aspects of your divorce proceedings. Although the two of you decide to end your marriage relationship, your child's needs remain intact and should be met. You should split your child's expenses on a short-term and long-term basis. You could also agree on whether to do away with expenses like music lessons and sports teams if they seem too expensive. However, you shouldn't touch expenses that may cause instability for the kid.
Important Events and Holidays
Although you opt to end your marriage, important events and holidays will always remain. And since you used to enjoy them together, you should find a way to make it happen even after divorce. Usually, most divorcing parents become more emotional during the holidays because their grief worsens. So it would help if you considered events like birthdays, Christmas, and other critical events and how you could enjoy them together. You should also discuss other major religious events, particularly those involving your children, and schedule time for them. Write all the events and holidays and share them to avoid misunderstandings.
Contact a local family law attorney to learn more.