A child custody agreement outlines what both parents are responsible for when they are dealing with the children. When the divorce is first filed, they will usually enter into a temporary order, but they still have to determine the terms of a permanent order. This has to encompass many aspects of the custody arrangement.
One of the most important facets of this is the schedule. The order should clearly state when the child will spend time with each parent. This should include a basic schedule, as well as specific provisions for holidays and special days.
There should be instructions on how to trade days or what needs to happen if one parent can’t have the children during their parenting time. We understand that this might seem daunting, but we are here to help you through the process.
You also need to determine who is going to make which decisions for the children. You and your ex might share these duties, or each parent might be responsible for specific decisions. Be sure to have provisions for ordinary decisions but include a plan for emergency circumstances.
Some other points that you might have to think about have to do with things like extracurricular activities and their social life. Setting guidelines for these, including the fact that activities that infringe on the other parent’s schedule should only be approved if that parent agrees to them.
When you are trying to come up with child custody terms, you have to think about the child’s best interests. We are here to work with you to ensure that this is being done.