Co-parenting is the preferred option in most divorce cases as child custody lawyers and the family court system find that children raised by both parents tend to benefit greatly from this arrangement.
Yet sometimes it can be a real challenge for spouses following a co-parenting plan and you may end up working with your individual child custody negotiation attorneys to ensure your parenting plan is upheld by both you and your former spouse.
Before heading back to the lawyer’s office, consider these tips on dealing with bumps in the road when co-parenting becomes unmanageable.
Work together to resolve the issues along the way so you and your ex can stay agreeable and your children receive all the benefits of still having two supportive parents in their lives.
Issues - The Visitation Order
Visitation problems are probably the most common issues that child custody lawyers help their clients resolve.
Many of these issues can be easily resolved individually as long as you and your former spouse can follow the court visitation order and are willing to work together for your children's benefit.
Common visitation issues include:
- Confusion About the Visitation Order - Always go back to the original order to review the visitation schedule that was initially agreed upon in your divorce decree.
- Visitation Scheduling Problems - Parents are permitted to work together to resolve scheduling conflicts as long as both of you as parents get the amount of visitation granted in the order.
- Late Pickups and Other Inconveniences - As parents, you must be considerate of each other and work to resolve these issues as lateness can create significant issues for everyone involved.
If you are unable to resolve these issues yourselves, work with child custody negotiation attorneys who can explain the order again and help you both understand what must be done to satisfy the order so that both parents get the visitation they are permitted.
Issue - Children Won't Visit Other Parent
Whether it’s due to being occupied with something at home, anxiety from frequently moving from household to household, or just having a hard time adjusting to new schedules, your children sometimes don’t actually want to visit the non-custodial parent.
Because it’s important that your children do spend time with their other parent, child custody legal services suggest that both you and your ex-spouse sit down and talk with with each child about the visitation schedule so they can feel more comfortable with the arrangement.
Family counselors are also useful for identifying reasons why your child might feel this way and help both you and your ex-spouse as parents resolve concerns so stress-free visitation can happen.
Issue - Visits to Grandparents, Friends, and Others
Another common question that child custody lawyers find many of you parents have is whether you need permission from the other parent before allowing your child to visit or stay with grandparents, other family members, or friends.
Generally speaking, as long as these visits occur during scheduled visitation time, no permission is needed.
If the visits involve changing the visitation schedule at all or there are restrictions in the order, the two of you as parents must negotiate to come up with a suitable modification.
Issue - Adhering to the Co-Parenting Order
When sticking to a visitation schedule creates other challenges or there are other co-parenting issues to face, it’s essential that both you and your spouse try to come up with your own amicable solution to these problems.
If necessary, you can have the court order permanently modified if necessary; however, it is best for you to just work things out together to satisfy your needs and the needs of your children.
Resolve Issues - Call A Child Custody Lawyer
When attempts to negotiate fail, your best recommendation is to seek the services of child custody negotiation attorneys who can help resolve the issues at hand and if necessary, have the co-parenting order modified.
Everything is resolvable with the right intervention; child custody legal services are here to help you co-parent more easily so your child can benefit the most!
