What Things Do We Need To Consider When Making A Parenting Plan?
A parenting plan can be a formal or informal agreement between parents that covers how the needs of your children are going to be taken care of. It will include as much or as little detail as is necessary to make it work. As your children grow older and have different needs, these arrangements will probably need to change.
Typically parenting plans cover areas such as:
- Where the children will live
- Time spent with each parent and the wider family
- Financial arrangements
- Education
- Religion
- Children's medical needs or concerns
- Discipline and household rules
- Holidays and special events
- How conflict will be resolved
A good parenting plan will allow for flexibility as the needs and circumstances of all involved change.
A good parenting plan will allow for flexibility as the needs and circumstances of all involved change. Use the Two Homes Organiser to map out your proposed parenting arrangements. Once entered, effortlessly share the details with the other parent for discussion and consideration.
To find out more about the Two Homes Family Orgnaiser click here.
What if I think my children and I are unsafe?
The safety of you and your children is always paramount. If you feel that it would be unsafe for your children to spend time and/or communicate with the other parent then limited contact may be best.
If you're in this situation you will need to show the court that contact with the other parent would put your children at serious physical or psychological harm. The court then has the ability to order that the children don't communicate or spend time with the other parent. Please be aware that this is very rare. As an alternative, the court may order that the other parent only be allowed supervised visitation.
The Family Court provides safe places where children can spend supervised time with a parent or where children can be dropped off and picked up before and after seeing the other parent.
If you're concerned about the safety of you or your children please get advice and assistance from a professional.
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