Designating Pick-Up And Drop-Off Responsibilities In Your Parenting Plan

Before a family law judge finalizes a divorce where a couple share children, the parents of those children will be required to submit a parenting plan to the court. This plan details how parenting time will be divided between the parties, as well as how parents will share decision-making responsibility about things like religion, education, and healthcare. Besides covering these major issues, parenting plans should also include information about how these plans will work on a day-to-day basis, including how the parents will actually exchange custody.

Transportation in Your Custody Arrangement

No matter how close two parents live to each other, the use of some sort of transportation will probably be necessary during custody exchanges. How parents go about navigating these exchanges, including whether they will use transportation, should also be included in the parenting plan. If children spend one week with each parent, for instance, and the parents exchange custody on the weekend, then the parties will need to figure out whether one will drive the children to the other’s house, or whether they will meet in a mutually agreed-upon place. Perhaps the parents will switch off responsibility for pick-up or drop-off, or maybe the location will change depending on whether the exchange takes place during the week or on the weekend.

In other cases, it may be another relative, or a babysitter who is tasked with a specific drop-off or pick-up. Parents should also address situations where one is unable to pick-up or drop-off as planned and must make alternate arrangements. The parties should carefully lay out what steps should be taken in the event of a schedule change. Will the parents communicate over the phone or text message? How much notice must be given of the change in schedule? Addressing these kinds of questions in a detailed parenting plan can go a long way towards preventing miscommunication and conflict in the future.

Modifying Your Parenting Plan

Most parents don’t know what post-divorce co-parenting will look like until they experience it. They may find that a custody arrangement that looked good on paper simply doesn’t work for their family. If this happens, the parties can modify their agreement, either voluntarily in an out-of-court setting, or by asking a judge to intervene. In either case, modification will require some time and effort from both parents, so if possible, co-parents should do their best to think through all of the issues that could present themselves, not only during exchanges, but with work schedules and extracurricular activities, so that they can avoid conflict in the future and avoid having to go back to court.

Schedule a Free Case Review

To learn more about the ins and outs of drafting a clear and thorough parenting plan, call dedicated Fort Lauderdale child custody lawyer Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. at 954-945-7591 today. You can also set up a meeting with a member of our legal team by filling out an online contact form.

Sources:

flcourts.org/content/download/403074/file/905a.pdf

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html