Going through a divorce impacts the lives of everyone in the family to some degree. The divorcing couple must negotiate everything from property division to financial support.
If you and your former partner have children, then coming up with a child custody arrangement may be one of your biggest concerns, along with establishing child support.
1. Consider children’s routines
There are benefits to creating routines for your children. Whether your children like to engage in certain bedtime rituals or look forward to attending weekly family events or clubs, they can feel out of sorts when things change.
Think about how to implement the custody arrangement in order to minimize disruptions to your children’s routine.
2. Find creative solutions
Your unique circumstances can impact the custody arrangement. If one or both parents work odd hours or must often travel for work, then the agreement must accommodate those schedules.
Salary differences and parenting ability can also come into play when deciding on an agreement. Find solutions that work for everyone involved, even if that means accommodating an irregular schedule.
3. Remain flexible
Custody arrangements and child support can change for various reasons. As children age, they may prefer to have a larger say in the custody arrangement, especially once they are old enough to drive.
Remain open to revisiting the agreement to accommodate changes and prepare to renegotiate as needed.
Creating a custody agreement can take time and effort. However, establishing an arrangement that best serves the interests of your children can make the process worthwhile.