If your holiday season was a flurry of schedules, transportation, and negotiation with your co-parent, it may be time to finalize a better parenting plan. One of the significant aspects of a parenting plan is to account for holidays and exceptions to the normal schedule, and decide how responsibilities are to be divided when these exceptions come up. If the parenting plan isn’t up to par, these exceptions can quickly become an issue for your holiday plans.
What are the basic requirements of a parenting plan
At minimum, parenting plans must detail 1) how the parents will share and be responsible for daily tasks associated with the upbringing of the child, 2) who will be responsible for healthcare, 3) school-related matters, 4) school-boundary determination, 5) methods and technologies for parent communication, and 6) time-sharing. If your parenting plan does not define a clear holiday schedule for each parent, (or any of the other items above), you may meet the standard for having your parenting plan revisited by the court without having to meet the standard for a modification. Parenting plans must adequately provide for time-sharing, including the plan for the holidays.
Good communication keeps a parenting plan working
Inevitably, issues pop up with any parenting plan. Good communication will make smoothing out those issues and moving past them with your co-parent much faster and easier. Communication details are something that can be laid out within the parenting plan, to ensure that they’re available if needed for emergency decisions. Communication with your children can also be defined in the parenting plan, so you’re able to video call or chat with your children during big events or holidays. Plenty of apps exist that can help you with the communication process and planning out your schedule for your parenting plan.
When creating a plan is difficult
Sometimes, whether through communication issues or simply not knowing where to start, creating a good parenting plan can be a big hurdle. In addition, there are many issues that go into a great parenting plan that can help to avoid conflict in the future. These issues go beyond a basic parenting plan that meets the bare minimum requirements of the court. If creating your parenting plan is proving to be a difficult process, our team is here to help. Legal counsel is a powerful resource for creating or modifying an existing parenting plan. We can ensure that your parenting plan is fair and successful for you and your children. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and make your parenting plan work for you.
Heather Bryan Law, P.A.
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