Going through divorce can be one of the most difficult things you ever do. This is particularly true if you have at least one child with the other parent.
When it comes to questions regarding child custody and visitation, you don’t want to leave any stone unturned. You owe it to yourself and your child to work through all the finer details with your ex-spouse.
At some point, you will realize the importance of creating a parenting agreement. It doesn’t matter if you have physical custody of the child or visitation rights, this type of agreement can go a long way in making life easier on you in the future.
While no two parenting agreements are the same, there are many details that you should consider including:
- Where the child will live
- A visitation schedule for the parent who does not have physical custody
- If both parents will work together to make important life decisions, such as those pertaining to education and religion (this is known as legal custody)
- Where the child will spend major events, such as holidays, vacations and birthdays
- The process for working through future disputes and any changes that need to be made
Although these are among the more important details to include in a parenting agreement, it’s important to remember that you and your former spouse can customize this to meet the needs of both individuals.
Many people find that they are able to create a parenting agreement during the divorce mediation process. It may not be easy, as you and the other parent could have different ideas of what custody and visitation should look like, but with the right approach you can work things out in the long run.
As you move through the process of creating a parenting agreement, make sure you know your legal rights and make decisions that will benefit your child above all others.