Sitting down with your spouse during the divorce process to discuss your parenting plan may not sound too hard if you’re generally in agreement about how to raise the kids. However, “the devil is in the details,” or so they say. Sometimes, it’s the small issues that can create the biggest custody headaches after your divorce.
Here are some of the top issues parents often forget to address in their parenting plans:
Extracurricular activities
One of the biggest ways you can end up losing parenting time with your kids is by having them involved in an extracurricular sport or hobby that cuts into your scheduled custody. Before your children get involved in any time-consuming activity, both parents should give consent.
Badmouthing
The love and respect a child has for a parent can be whittled away by the other parent’s negative comments. You and your co-parent need to agree that you will always speak respectfully about the other and have your disputes in private.
Appearance
As your children get older and start to develop a sense of independence, the subject of their appearance — what is and is not permissible — can be a problem. Any drastic changes (like an extreme color change or a piercing) to your child’s appearance should have to be agreed upon.
Electronics
If your child doesn’t already have a phone, they’ll eventually want one. You and your co-parent should attempt to come to some agreement about what age is appropriate for specific devices and how much screen time is allowed.
When negotiating a parenting plan, it’s usually better to have experienced legal advice. Someone who has seen many parenting plans before can help you spot issues that might otherwise be overlooked.
