The divorce process includes a list of stages and tasks to cover. If you prepare well and put in enough effort, you will have a quick divorce in FL no matter the situation. Still, many people believe that having minor kids and/or big assets sends your case to long-term procedures by default. It depends on you and your spouse majorly, on your openness, desire to cooperate, committing, how the case will develop.
If you are a parent aiming at a quick but successful marriage termination, start an early preparation here and now and consider how to write a perfect parenting plan. Check out the points to include and let the principle of the best kids’ interests guide you.
1. Living Arrangements
The first thing to decide is how long children will stay with each parent. It is necessary to give your kids the opportunity to interact with both parents regularly and qualitatively. The best way to regulate the living arrangements is to optimize your planning with weekly and monthly calendars. Mark days of staying with different parents in different colors. Consider discussing and marking overnights as well.
2. Communications
The parenting plan should also include the communication means between parents and between children and each parent. When kids stay with one parent, they should have the possibility to reach another parent whenever necessary. For smaller kids, it is better to have a video connection available. While teenagers can easily contact another parent on their own.
3. Changeovers
It is also necessary to choose the ways for your children to commute between households. It is recommended to decide on a neutral place for changeovers. Or if your kids are of school age, consider the option of one parent dropping the children off in the morning and another parent picking them up after school.
4. Special Occasions
Negotiate how you will deal with special days. They cover the following:
- mother’s, father’s, and kids’ birthdays
- Mother’s and Father’s Days
- long weekends
- public holidays
- Christmas
- any other festivities.
You can agree to take turns hosting your kids on special days, spend some festivities together, or decide on neutral celebrations.
5. School and Extra-curriculum Activities
Schooling is another significant subject for discussion within a parenting plan. Experts recommend not changing schools due to divorce if possible so as not to bring extra stress to your kids. But if you have no other options, you should stipulate who has the right to choose schools. Also consider deciding on certain subjects, religious and sex education, attending parental meetings, teacher interviews, and school events.
A separate point for discussion is extra-curriculum activities. Discuss what your kids will do in non-school time and how much you are ready to spend on it. Remember that your kids’ best interests and comfort are what is a parenting plan for no matter whether it is about schooling or any other point.
6. Holidays
When talking about holidays, discuss who the children will spend their vacations with. If traveling is an option, assign the responsible one for travel arrangements. Discuss the possibility to travel abroad during holidays and decide the parent to make international travel arrangements.
7. Special Matters
It can cover anything from practicing religion to joining any youth culture and so on. Dwell on whether your children can decide on similar issues on their own and how will each parent impact their choices.
8. Medical and Health Needs
When you look for guidance on how to write a parenting plan for court, you will notice a significant point highlighted in most cases. It goes about medical and health needs. Discuss who will care about kids when they are sick and out of school, what treatment you approve of, whether your kids are to be immunized, and who will be responsible for visits to the therapist and dentist. Plus, you can dwell on children’s insurance, its conditions, and financial coverage.
9. Safety Rules
Prioritize your kids’ safety and include at least general safety rules in your parental agreement. Discuss whether your kids are allowed to be on their own at home, in public places, or use public transport without supervision. Think about whether they can commute on their own to extracurricular activities and back. Think whether anyone else may have the right to supervise your children when parents have no such possibility.
10. Money
Another must point to include in a parenting plan for divorce considers money. Talk about regular payments one parent gives to another for children-related expenses, covering everyday and school clothes and shoes, paying for school-related expenses and extra-cuticular activities, medical expenses, and holiday budget. Decide whether your kids will get pocket money and how much.
It is also highly recommended to use relevant apps to track and report your sendings on kids to avoid any related misunderstandings and conflicts.
11. Important Docs
Assign the right to look after children’s important documents, store them, and update them. Decide whether another parent can have copies of the kids’ docs if necessary.
12. Reviewal
Kids are growing up, and their needs and wishes are changing. If you want to supply them with all necessary and guarantee a happy childhood, your agreement is to be reviewed regularly. Appoint the next reviewal date every time you introduce changes, the requirements, and any extra details. So that your kids have everything they need despite their parents being divorced.