Divorcing a spouse is a trying time, but the complications are even greater if you have children. Every decision you make has to consider the needs of the kids. One thing that many parents opt to do is to co-parent the children. This enables both parents to play an active role in the child’s life, and it helps to provide the loving and stable environment that the child needs to thrive. Co-parenting isn’t always easy. There aren’t any special formulas to follow to make the situation work. Instead, you and your ex have to be committed to working as a parenting team for the good of the children.
There are several components to a successful co-parenting relationship. One of the most important is that you must be able to have respectful communication. Neither parent should speak negatively of the other. When disagreements occur, it’s best to take a step back so that you can think about what’s best for the kids. As co-parents, you’re likely going to spend time together when the children have special events. It might help make things easier if you set up guidelines about how these will be handled. You should also think about how the situation will work when either adult has a new significant other.
Regardless of what type of parenting relationship you’ll have with your ex, you must ensure that the terms are outlined in a parenting plan. This sets the rules for raising the children. You can refer back to it if there are ever questions about what needs to happen. Your attorney can help you to get this document in order so it reflects the agreements you and your ex make about the children.
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