Making sure your parenting plan will last long-term

When Pennsylvania parents go through a divorce, they may try to create a custody plan that allows the kids to have stability and security long-term. By resolving these matters out of court, you can have more control over the terms of your final custody and visitation order. This allows you to provide your kids with an arrangement that suits the unique needs of your family.

Your parenting plan should work for your family now, but it should work long-term as well. One thing to consider as you craft your plan is to focus on the best needs of the children above all else. With the right plan in place, you can be certain that your kids will have the stability and security they need for their emotional and mental health.

The terms of your plan

What’s in your plan matters, even if it does not seem important now. For example, you may need to include terms regarding how you will resolve disputes in the future, even if you are not sure how and when they will arise. Some of the other things you may want to think about including or addressing in your parenting plan include:

• How and when you will drop off children between homes, including where you will meet and how long each parent will have the kids
• How you and the other parent will share the responsibility of making important decisions for your kids
• How and when your children will have access to extended family members, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles
• How the children will split time during summers, vacations, holidays and other times they may not be in school

These are only a few things you will need in your parenting plan. The more thorough your plan is, the less likely it will be that you will experience confusion and disputes over custody related matters in the future.

The future of your family

You don’t stop being co-parents simply because your marriage is over. A strong and thoughtful parenting plan can ensure that you have what you need to make this partnership work well for the duration. If you are unsure of what you need in your plan or how you can negotiate terms that will benefit your family, you may want to discuss your plan with an experienced family law attorney first.