5 common questions when making a child custody agreement

Child custody agreements are complex and require a lot of consideration. You’ll want to be sure that you and your co-parent are on the same page when outlining an agreement.

You may need to consider the following questions to ensure everything is covered:

1. How is custody divided?

Parents can have physical and legal custody. Physical custody determines where a child lives. Legal custody determines who controls how a child is raised, such as medical decisions, religious upbringing and schooling. Co-parents typically split physical and legal custody evenly (unless there is a really good reason for one parent to get sole custody).

2. Who has visitation during holidays?

While parents often work out when they have their children during the day and week, one of the hardest things to figure out is who has their children during holidays. Some parents will switch holidays yearly, while others may have visitation for part of the holiday.

3. How is custody decided during school and summer break?

Parents can figure out when they’ll have their children during schooling. It’s often easier for parents to go to work and care for their children when they are in school. However, a plan may need to be worked out so that children are cared for during summer break.

4. What happens if one parent can’t be present during their custody time?

Sometimes a parent will have to hire a babysitter or have someone watch their children during an emergency or overtime hours. When this happens, the other parent may want to have the right of first refusal. The right to first refusal allows a parent to take on extra visitation hours when the other parent can’t.

5. What kind of communication works best for parents?

Communication is key in co-parenting plans. Parents will likely have to keep constant communication to ensure visitation and activities run smoothly with their children. Parents may consider a mix of texting, calling, facetime and emailing whenever possible.

If you have more questions about child custody agreements, then it could benefit you to reach out for legal help when making a child custody agreement.