Emotions Still Raw? 3 Tips For Creating An Effective Custody Arrangement
If you and your spouse have recently divorced, and you shared a child, designing a health custody arrangement can take some work. Emotions may still be raw, but that shouldn't interfere with your ability to work together to create an arrangement that works well for your child. Here are three steps that will help you avoid problems with your custody plans.
Think About Your Child's Needs
Divorce is a difficult process, especially where children are concerned. However, when dealing with custody arrangements, it's crucial that you think about your child's needs first.
Age
While you and your ex are developing custody arrangements, you should both take your child's age into consideration. This is particularly important where overnight and extended visits are concerned. For instance, a young child may not be ready to spend nights away from one of the parents.
School
If your child is in school, their educational needs should be taken into consideration when developing a custody plan. If you and your ex live in close proximity, educational needs will be easy to meet. However, if one parent has moved away, your child's educational schedule will need to be accommodated.
Social
Older children tend to have a full social calendar, especially if they're involved in extracurricular activities. When planning for custody, be sure to take your child's social needs into consideration.
Take The Marriage Out of the Picture
The marriage may have ended, but that doesn't mean your child's relationship with their other parent has. Now that you're working to create a custody arrangement that is the best for your child, take the marriage out of the picture. Focusing on how bad the marriage was, or your ex's short-comings as a spouse, can interfere with the relationship your child has with their other parent. To help your child maintain a strong, loving relationship with both parents, move marital problems to the past.
Learn How to Communicate
If communication was a problem in your marriage, you and your ex may need to learn how to communicate now that you'll be sharing custody of your child. Now's the time to find a form of communication that works well for both of you. If you find that face-to-face communication doesn't work, talk to your attorney about utilizing one of the many custody apps that are available. These apps allow you to schedule visits, request changes, and share information with the other parent.
Contact an attorney firm, like the Law Offices of Lynda Latta, LLC, for further assistance.
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