For many families, a collaborative approach to child custody allows parents to work together to resolve the case, eliminating the need to go to court. As part of this process, a parenting agreement is developed that covers issues like custody, visitation, and other joint parental decisions about how the child will be raised.
After the resolution of child custody, the parenting agreement will typically cover the following key areas:
- Where the child will live and visitation schedules
- Who will make major decisions about the child’s welfare and upbringing
- Who the child will spend birthdays, vacations, and major holidays with
- How contact with family friends, grandparents, relatives, and other third parties should be handled
- How any disagreements in regard to the parenting agreement should be handled
These are simply some of the most common & important issues parents who divorce should try to include in their parenting agreement. At the same time, parents can customize this agreement in innumerable ways to meet the specific needs of their child.
Establishing a parenting agreement can save parents time, money, and anxiety during divorce proceedings and in the years that follow. Even if you are on amicable terms with your former spouse, you may still struggle to come up with a parenting agreement that makes sense for your family.
At Collaborative Divorce Waterloo Region, our collaborative approach can minimize conflict and help parents jointly establish a parenting agreement that works for them and their children. Contact us today to find out how our legal, family, and financial professionals can help.