If you are a couple with children whether married or just staying together, and things have not worked out well and you decide to separate or divorce. Sooner or later, you will need to agree on how to deal with children and their wellbeing. Yesterday we told you about a parental agreement to help you resolve these issues.
Today, we want to talk about what you will need to be clear on.
1. Custody Arrangements:
This is about who stays with the children (physical) and who has the right to make certain decisions over their lives such as education, healthcare, and religion (legal custody). It can be on one parent (sole custody where one parent has primary custody and the other has visiting rights) or joint (shared) where children take turns to stay with one parent and then another parent takes their turn.
Visitation Schedule: if only one parent has custody over a child, then you may need to come up with a schedule for when the other parent can visit to see the child with supervision such as during School VD, holidays, and special occasions. The schedule is expected to be clear, predictable, and considerate of each parent's work schedules and other commitments.
Communication Plan: since both parents have a role in their children’s lives, you may need to agree on how to keep in touch (phone, email, text). This helps you to avoid an ex-partner showing at midnight and knocking on the door because they want to talk about or see their child.
Education and Extracurricular Activities:
Both parents have a say in the schools and activities their children take part in. This is because those parents are responsible for paying for these things and want a child to grow up a certain way. So discuss school selection, extracurricular activities, and participation in special programs or events.
Healthcare and Medical Decisions: in the same way, both parents have to include how they will deal with healthcare decisions such as medical procedures, routine medical appointments, and the sharing of medical information between parents.
Financial Responsibilities: Each parent’s financial obligations, including child support payments, healthcare expenses, and contributions to educational or extracurricular activities are also included.
Dispute Resolution: A process for resolving disputes or disagreements that may arise regarding the parenting agreement, including mediation, arbitration, or seeking court intervention, is also included in the agreement.
Source: BarefootLawyers.
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