Questions to ask as you make a parenting plan

If you and your spouse are going through a divorce, you may decide to work together to create a parenting plan. The two of you still want to be excellent parents, even though you’re not married anymore, and the plan will make this possible.

This can be a difficult process and you certainly don’t want to overlook anything. You need to make sure you’re well aware of your legal rights to custody time with the child and how that can play into the implementation of your parenting plan. But it’s also important to know what questions to ask.

Example questions to get you started

Every situation is unique, so no two parents are going to have the exact same considerations. But these questions can help you start thinking along the proper lines:

• How are you going to divide custody?
• What are you going to do when the children are in school during the summer?
• How are you going to divide the holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving?
• How are you going to split up other important events, such as graduations or birthday parties?
• Do you want to use the same rules for the children in both homes?
• How are you going to set up a schedule to take the children to school and pick them up?
• What access are the children going to have to extended family members, babysitters or other people out of your immediate family?

Again, this is certainly not all you need to think about, but it can get you started. Be sure you carefully consider all of your legal options as you navigate this process.