What Is A Pennsylvania Parenting Plan?
A parenting plan is a useful tool for parents who are unmarried, separated, or divorced. It is a document that outlines the responsibilities of each parent, such as what the custody schedule will be and who has decision-making authority when it comes to education, religion, and other areas of child rearing. Many parents also find it helpful to include information on how communication will take place, when needed.
If you are moving toward a Pennsylvania divorce, and are unsure how to create a co-parent relationship with your soon-to-be-ex spouse, discuss your concerns with a Bucks County family attorney. Often a parenting plan can establish guidelines that will decrease disputes, leading to healthy negotiation rather than long battles.
How a Parenting Plan Could Help You
Naturally, every situation is unique and needs to be reviewed individually, but parenting plans often provide clear rules in three main areas of shared parenting:
- Parental schedules. Outlining how parenting time will be shared, including holidays, summer breaks, and vacations, gives both parents and children a knowledge of what to expect in coming months.
- Who makes decisions. When raising a child, there are a lot of decisions connected to education, religious upbringing, extracurricular activities, and healthcare. How this decision-making authority will be divided will depend on the concerns of the individuals. For example, it may be important to one parent to have the children continue their education at a particular private school while the other parent feels strongly about having authority over certain extracurriculars, such as sports and summer camps.
- Financial decisions. Any child support payments or other means of financial support need to be outlined, including who will be paying for summer camps, private school tuition fees, and other expenses.
Getting as much information as possible into a parenting plan can reduce stress levels when people leave a spousal relationship and begin to co-parent.
If circumstances change in the future, such as the needs of the children have shifted or if one or both parents have had a life event, from a job shift to a geographical move, a parental plan post-decree modification can be pursued.
Connect with an Attorney for a Well-Crafted Plan
A plan is only going to be useful if it is complete and specific. When parents are able to effectively co-parent, kids will have an opportunity to adapt to the transition from living in one house to residing in two homes with less personal upheaval. You don’t have to navigate the process of creating a parenting plan on your own, a Bucks County family attorney is available to guide you through the process.
Do you have questions about what should be included in your Pennsylvania parenting plan? It is normal to have co-parenting questions, speak with an attorney to talk through your objectives and how to craft an optimal custody arrangement and parenting plan for your family. When you are ready to get started, reach out to the legal team at Kardos, Rickles & Hand. Schedule an initial, no-cost consultation today. Call 215-968-6602.
