The goal of any child custody plan is to care for the children’s needs. But, too often, the co-parents can become emotional, which affects how they work together. If you are encountering a dispute with managing child custody, then it’s essential to enlist the help of an experienced family attorney.
If one of your goals is to improve the way you are supporting your children this year, then it might involve adjustments to a child custody agreement. There is a fine balance between caring for the children’s needs and also addressing the parent’s concerns. Here are a few tips to help:
Negotiation or Mediation
Most co-parents understand that there is a bit of give-and-take when it is time to find a win-win solution for child custody. Before going into the negotiations, consider your highest priorities. What are the things that you insist on having for your children? Where are you willing to give up your opinion in order to let the other co-parent take the lead?
If you can’t resolve these conversations with just the parents, then it might be helpful to bring in a mediator or lawyer to assist in the negotiations.
Maintain Communication
Not only do parents need to keep the lines of communication open, but it can also be helpful to have everything in writing. There is always a risk of information being lost or confused with a verbal conversation. So, if you discuss something, then always follow it up with a text message or email to summarize the agreement. The written documentation can be referred to in the future if any disagreements or questions come up.
Always Have a Legal Document for Child Custody
Even if two parents are willing to work together, disagreements and conflict will inevitably come up at some point. So, it’s essential to make sure that you always have a legal document in place to outline the details of the child custody agreement. This process requires a judge’s signature for the final order, which is why it is usually best to work with an attorney.
If you already have a child custody agreement in place and things need to be changed, then make sure that the updated version is always finalized by a judge.
Legal Services for Your Child Custody Agreements
There’s no question that legal support is essential when you are finalizing a child custody agreement. Miles & Hatcher, LLP is here to help. Call for more information about available services: (909) 481-4080.