Inside Attorney Info on Creating A Good Texas Parenting Plan!

Family law firms believe that a good parenting plan that both benefits the child and is workable for the parents is a highly important element of a successful Texas custody agreement.

Parenting plans developed with the help of an experienced family law attorney are designed to help parents understand what is legally required from each of them and how to be the best parents they can be, even when divorced.

Learn more about parenting plans and how family attorneys address them to help clients avoid problems in the future!

Understand the Requirements of A Texas Parenting Plan

A successful parenting plan begins with the Texas Standard Possession Order or SPO, though family law attorneys find that there is plenty of room for customization as needed.

The SPO gives co-parents a basic directive on how they are to structure a parenting plan that satisfies the state’s legal requirements and then their own needs regarding visitation, decision-making, and other issues.

These details can either be negotiated outside of court with a family law firm or decided in court, with the former being preferred by most parents.

The goal is to develop a parenting plan that creates a stable life for the child with as little disruption as possible.

The provisions that a Texas parenting plan must include are:

Naming the child’s managing conservator, the non-custodial parent with rights to visitation, and where the child will live.
Dividing decision-making rights as well as physical care, education, and deciding who will pay child support and what amount will be paid.
Determining visitation times and setting a visitation schedule.
Deciding how the child’s healthcare costs will be paid.

Communicate and Stay Involved

Since parenting plans are flexible to a point, parents can modify them slightly as needed most of the time, as long as both are in agreement.

To this effect, family law attorneys stress the importance of good communication between parents and responsiveness to each other’s needs.

Parents who can negotiate from the point of the SPO and their initial parenting plan and utilize their family law firm to help them with creative problem-solving can avoid many challenges that can cause friction.

Attorneys find that parents who stay involved in the decision-making process, for their child and the parenting plan in general, can find agreeing on parenting issues and sharing parenting duties and rights easier.

Put The Best Interest of the Children First

Acknowledging the reality that there will always be some disagreements between parents, attorneys advise that parents consider what is in the best interest of their child.

By stepping back and viewing parenting plan challenges from the position of providing for their child, parents can find common ground more easily.

In especially challenging situations, they can reach out to their family law attorney to negotiate suitable solutions that promote compromise and work toward maintaining a good parenting plan.

Discuss Parenting Plans With A Texas Family Law Firm

Parenting plans can seem complicated since they are based on the Texas Standard Possession Order.

Fortunately, parents working with an experienced family law firm may find negotiating a successful parenting plan easier than they think.

With the built-in flexibility that allows agreeable parents to modify their parenting plans as needed, successful co-parenting that addresses the needs of children and their parents is possible!