Developing a Successful Co-Parenting Relationship

Co-parenting arrangements are considered to be some of the most successful and effective child custody agreements into which a couple can enter, as they provide equal access to the parties’ children. Co-parenting also requires the parties to focus on communication and working together, which can help make a child’s transition to post-divorce life easier. However, the success of this type of relationship depends on the parents’ ability and willingness to make sacrifices and behave a certain way. While this can be difficult, especially in acrimonious divorces, it is often the best way to ensure that the parties’ relationships with each other and their children are not damaged. Establishing a co-parenting relationship can be difficult, so if you have questions about what this involves, you should contact an experienced divorce attorney who can explain time sharing responsibilities, as well as your other legal options.

Promoting a Co-Parenting Relationship  

For a co-parenting relationship to be successful, the parties involved must focus not on their own personal grudges or animosity towards each other, but on their children. This in turn, requires clear communication. Whether this takes place in person, on the phone, over text, or a combination of the three, the parties must develop a policy of open and honest communication. This ensures that both parents are on the same page when it comes to pick-ups, drop offs, and changes in schedules, as well as more important issues, such as a child’s performance in school or his or her general behavior. Keeping each other up-to-date on changes, including work conflicts and vacations is crucial to maintaining a policy of open communication.

Flexibility is also key to promoting a successful co-parenting relationship, as a refusal to compromise only generates further conflict and can leave a child confused and resentful. This does not mean that ex-spouses will not encounter disagreements. In fact, they should come into the relationship expecting that at some point they will disagree about a child care-related decision. This doesn’t mean the end of a co-parenting relationship, as the parties are not prevented from working through these problems to reach a solution that is in the best interests of their child. Ensuring that this is the primary goal of both parties is essential to creating a co-parenting agreement. This includes keeping children out of any conflicts between the parents. Even speaking negatively about an ex-spouse in the child’s hearing is strongly discouraged, as this will both not help the parties resolve the problem and could also jeopardize the child’s relationship with one or both parents.

Call a Fort Lauderdale Divorce Attorney Today  

Just because two parties obtain a divorce, does not mean that they lose their parental rights and obligations. Instead, both parties will need to protect and honor these obligations, while working with each other. This can be a difficult task, so if you are interested in including a co-parenting arrangement in your divorce order, please call dedicated Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. at 954-945-7591 for a free case evaluation.

Resource:

psychologytoday.com/blog/two-takes-depression/201203/the-dos-and-donts-co-parenting-well