What to think about when crafting a parenting plan

 Posted on September 23, 2020 in Child Custody

Like most other states, Texas law allows you to have an active role in your child's life after a divorce. You and your son or daughter's other parent may be allowed to create the terms of a parenting plan that will govern how your child is raised. Working in good faith to create this plan can help to show your son or daughter that meeting his or her needs is your top priority.

Make sure that the plan is reasonable

It is important that you can manage to transport your child to school, to the other parent's house and to extracurricular activities with relative ease. If your child is used to spending time with a babysitter, that person should remain a part of your son or daughter's life. Depending on how old your child is, it may be worthwhile to solicit his or her input when crafting a parenting plan.

Remember that your child's needs outweigh yours

When crafting a custody or visitation plan, you should always remember that your child's needs are more important than what you want. Therefore, you shouldn't insist on a particular arrangement just because it is convenient for you or because you want to win the negotiation. In most cases, your former partner is also making sacrifices for the good of your child whether you recognize them or not.

Don't be afraid to make changes

Ideally, you and your child's other parent will spend a few weeks testing a proposed parenting plan before declaring it a success or a failure. Even if the plan works well in general, there is a good chance that you will need to make slight changes and adjustments over time.

If you need help working out a child custody or visitation plan with your child's other parent, it may be a good idea to hire a family law attorney. This person may also be able to review a proposed plan before it goes into effect. If necessary, legal counsel may represent your interests in a family law court.