If you are thinking about filing for custody of your child, you may be wondering about what you will need to include in your custody agreement.
Different states have different laws, but there are a few key components that all basic custody agreements should contain:
A child visitation schedule. Consider the child visitation schedule to be the bones of your custody plan. The visitation schedule will dictate when your child is going to spend time with you. You should take the time to consider the needs of your child and create a fair child visitation schedule.
A division of custody. What kind of custody are you going to have? Some states don't make you specify a type of custody, but most of them do.
Regardless, you should clarify whether or not you will share physical and legal custody or if one of you will have sole custody. It is possible to have a combination of joint and sole custody.
If you share legal custody, you will need to include a list of who is responsible for making major decisions that affect your child's well-being.
Methods for changing the plan. Unless your child is seventeen, the needs of your child will change as she grows towards adulthood.
You should include procedures for periodically reviewing the plan and modifying it.
The extra time you spend creating your visitation schedule now will pay off in the long run. A clear and specific custody schedule will save you time and money since it reduces the chance of potential conflict.
A method for dispute resolution. If you do experience conflict with your ex regarding your custody agreement in the future, you should have a method for solving your problems in place. A method of dispute resolution will act as a safety net and should prevent you from returning to court to have the judge make a ruling.
Returning to court after your case has been settled will take a lot of your time and / or money. If you can agree to a plan now and stick to it in the future, you will save yourself a lot of grief. You may opt to seek the advice of your clergy or a trusted mutual friend or non-biased family member. You may also consider returning to mediation to hash things out.
The plan that works best for you should be your first line of defense when dealing with your ex in the future.
The rules. A custody agreement is your chance to make the rules for raising your child apart. You may include any relevant items that you are able to agree on in your plan. Some of the topics you may want to consider are transportation, communication, optional expenses such as school dances and orthodontics, information sharing, extracurricular activities, and more.
Creating a basic custody agreement and visitation schedule can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be. If you know what to expect and what to include, you will stay one step ahead of your ex throughout the entire process. This will enable you to create a successful that meets the needs of your child.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITES.
No comments:
Post a Comment