When planning for your child’s custody agreement in your divorce, you want the absolute best agreement possible for your child. It may seem difficult to make all the right decisions, so our child custody attorney at Marmolejo Law, APC shares some things that we ask our clients to consider when planning for custody.
Developing a “Future Proof” Mindset
Your child’s needs will not stay the same as they grow up. That’s why we encourage parents to develop a “future proof” mindset where they plan for growth and changes in their child’s needs in their custody plan. Adding in future proof measures does not need to be perfect since your custody plan can go through a modification; however, having future proof measures may help limit emerging issues regarding your child’s custody.
Common examples of future-proofing a child custody plan include:
- Measures about cell phone use and other technology they may have as they grow up, such as tablets and computers
- Taking into account future schedule changes for extracurricular activities
- Taking into account future schedule changes for new schools, such as middle or high school
- Measures for summertime activities, such as camps, summer school, or jobs
- Measures about learning to drive
- If your child will be under the age of 18 when they graduate high school, adding in measures regarding their education
- Measures for school breaks and vacations
Taking a Peek at Schedules
Your child custody plan is meant to follow the best interests of your child. But when your schedules conflict with your child’s it can be difficult to discern what exactly is in their best interests. When writing your custody plan, make sure to look at both your own schedule and your child’s schedule. If your employment limits the amount of time you have to take care of your child due to travel or irregular work hours, make sure to note that in your time-sharing schedule.
When developing your time-sharing schedule, you may need to create a unique schedule to suit your family and child’s best interests. One week on, one week off may not work for your family, so work with your child’s other parent to develop a schedule that adheres to your court-ordered division of time and that works best for the full family.
Thinking With Your Child’s Best Interests At Heart
When planning for custody, you may try and create an agreement that is best for yourself, but is that the right decision for your child? When creating a time-sharing schedule and writing a parenting plan, make those decisions with your child’s best interests at the forefront. It may be slightly more difficult for yourself and your other parent to make it work, but if you are doing everything you can to set your child up for success and a happy childhood, then it is worth it.
Consulting Documentation
While you write your custody agreement, consult any court documents or any other documentation regarding the care of your child. Read it carefully with your attorney and make sure that all required information is included in your custody agreement. Your attorney will know what is required in your custody agreement, so they will also help you include all of that necessary information.
Marina Del Rey Child Custody Attorney
Writing the perfect child custody plan can seem daunting — that’s why our child custody attorney is here to help you through the writing process. Together, we will write a custody agreement in your child’s best interests that suits the whole family.
Call us at (310) 736-2063 or contact us online to schedule a virtual consultation with our child custody attorney. Together, we can create a custody agreement in your child’s best interests.