A child custody case must take the best interests of the children into account. It might be difficult for parents to come to the terms necessary, but taking the time to work things out can greatly benefit the children. There are many facets of custody that you should think about when you and your child’s other parent are splitting up.
One of the most important things to do in these cases is to ensure that both parents have parenting time. This is the chance to build the relationship with your child and to have an influence on how they’re being raised. You’ll probably have considerably less time with them now than what you had in the past, so you need to focus on making it quality time.
Another thing to consider is who will make decisions for the kids. Think about things like medical care, religion and schooling. Will both parents have an equal say in these or will one hold more of the power in a certain area? Outlining this in the child custody order lets everyone know what responsibilities they hold.
The rules for communication must also be set in this parenting plan. Ideally, you and your ex will be able to communicate freely about the children, but there should be an expectation of respect. Remember that you don’t ever need to use a child as a messenger. Using monitored communication, such as a parenting communication app, may help if things between you and your ex are still contentious and prone to anger.
No matter what you and your ex work out, the terms should be in the child custody order. If there is ever a disagreement, you can turn to that document to find the solution.