Dividing time with your children is an aspect of divorce parents don’t enjoy. Sure, you want the other parent in their life, but being away from your child is difficult. While the negotiation process is hard, cooperatively negotiating a parenting agreement clearly lays out who is responsible for the child and when. Such an agreement can prevent some conflict and confusion.
Start with the basics
Your parenting time agreement will ask you and your spouse to plan out your visitation times with your children. You have up to two weeks before your hearing to file this with the court, so make sure you’re taking time to give the agreement careful thought.
The agreement form first asks you to declare if one parent has custody or if it is joint. From there, the document asks you to lay out your weekend schedules. Will your spouse have the children every weekend or every other? After that, it asks you to list the agreed upon dates, times and transportation for the child.
A great reason to start vacation planning
What’s nice is that you can plan a summer and school schedule. A parent who has custody on weekdays during the school year may prefer custody during the week because they live closer to the school but follow a different plan for summer months.
As parents, you also agree to set vacation days allowed per year, in addition to how the child spends birthdays and holidays. Not only does this avoid as many hurt feelings and surprises as possible, it allows you as an adult to plan events and trips around this schedule.
Your agreement should be as unique as your family
Parenting time agreements keep you, the parents, in control. Planning each weekend, holiday and vacation for years to come is certainly a grand undertaking. However, taking the time to do so can eliminate future stress and collaborating with your ex-spouse sends a terrific message to your kids.
