The following items are areas you may include in your co-parenting plan. Keep in mind that you should build some level of flexibility into the plan to allow for changes in circumstances.
- Where The Children Will Live And Time Spent With Each Parent
The age of your children, schooling requirements and each parents ability to provide a loving and stable living environment need to be considered when deciding the amount of time a child spends with either parent. There are a wide variety of parenting arrangements to suit a range of situations. Some children alternate between parent's homes on an equal basis while others may have different time splits such as 30/70.
- Financial Arrangements
As parents you both need to take financial responsibility for your children. Some parents agree to share this equally, while others provide regular support payments to each other according to the amount of time a child spends with them and in proportion to their income.
- Tax Deductions and Family Tax Benefit
Some parents choose to split the tax deductions and family tax benefit between them. Others grant the tax deduction to the parent who has the children for the greater amount of time. Contact your lawyer or local CSA officer for more information about tax deductions and family tax benefit entitlements.
- Education
You should consider educational arrangements for your children now and in the future. What schools do you want your children to attend, if you want to send your child to a private school what are the costs involved? How will these school costs be shared? Is it important to you that provisions are made for tertiary education?
- School and Public Holidays
Consideration needs to be given to where children will spend the school holidays. How will special holidays be shared? For example, on special holidays such as Christmas some families prefer to alternate years while others split the day so the children see both parents during the day.
- Medical Needs
As parents you should discuss the general health care needs of your children and immediately inform each other of any illness or required medical attention. It is common for the parent who has the children at any point in time to take responsibility for meeting any medical and dental emergencies.
- Conflict Resolution
Disagreements are going to occur and some families find it useful to agree on a methodology for resolving conflict. You may want to consider using a mediator or someone similar to help resolve difficult issues.
- Changes to the Agreement
If a parenting plan is going to be successful it needs to have some level of flexibility built into it. It may be useful to include a provision that the co-parenting agreement be reviewed on a periodic basis and that the agreement can be changed with the consent of both parents.
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