Divorce is never easy. It become exponentially harder when there are children involved. Depending on the age of your children, it might be easier to talk out what they need and what they want. Child custody arrangements can be based around the West Virginia school district your child is enrolled in, or whichever parent ends up having the most space.
With younger children, this can be harder to figure out. Your child doesn’t have a good understanding of what’s going on and may be unable to communicate what they want. That’s why it’s important to have a good co-parenting plan set in place before the divorce is finalized.
Why should I have a co-parenting plan?
Having a plan that details schedules, child custody, and how you and your former spouse will parent into account can minimize questions down the line and reduce conflict.
During this turbulent time, having a co-parenting plan can make the transition easier on your children. Lots of things will change regardless of having a co-parenting plan, but having one can eliminate unknowns and create consistency.
What does a good co-parenting plan look like?
Every family is different, so your co-parenting plan might look different than another parents. There are lots of things to take into consideration when planning, like:
- Location. Is one parent moving far away? How easy is it going to be to transport the kid from one place to the next?
- Schedule. Having child custody on the weekends does nothing if you constantly have to work on the weekends.
- Actual parenting. Figure out together how much screen time your child should use, as well as what their bedtime should be, etc. These should be revisited frequently as your child continues to grow.
What else do I need to consider?
There will be other things that crop up as the child grows up. But if you and your spouse can’t agree on things now, the judge will decide for you. Work with an attorney to have a co-parenting plan in place before the divorce is finalized.
