Creating a co-parenting plan

by | Aug 1, 2017 | Child Custody |

Research has shown that California children who grow up with parents who are in a stable, loving marriage benefit from this type of environment. However, approximately half of all American marriages end in divorce, meaning that many children spent some time growing up with parents who were not happy. Some parents who are no longer together are still able to effectively work together to co-parent their child.

Co-parenting is a style of parenting where both parents work together to raise the child even though they are no longer together. This offers a variety of benefits, including stability and the ability to establish and maintain relationships with both parents. However, it can still be difficult, as this parenting style requires the ability to amicably communicate and work together to solve problems as they come up.

One way that people can begin to establish a strong basis for co-parenting is to work with a mediator. Many mediators are trained to help create theses types of plans. Mediators often also have access to a variety of tools to help parents get into the co-parenting groove, including classes and workbooks. Parents who are already able to work together and can communicate can always create their own co-parenting plan without a mediator.

While co-parenting can benefit the child, there are certain cases where it may not be an advisable option. For example, if a parent was physically or emotionally abusive, a co-parenting plan is often not recommended as it can put the child in danger of harm. A divorce attorney could help a parent seek sole custody if there is strong evidence that the other party was abusive during the marriage.