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Tips For Sharing Custody

Tips2

One of the biggest issues that divorcing couples (who share children) face is determining what their custody arrangement will look like. If both parents want to share custody 50/50 then they’ll need to work together to come up with a workable arrangement. We’ve included a few tips that can help make this process easier for all of the parties involved.

Try to Live Nearby

When both parents want to share custody equally, it will be a lot easier to make the arrangement work if they live relatively close to each other. One rule of thumb is that parents who agree to a 50/50 split should try to live within 20 miles of each other, as this will make pick-ups and drop-offs easier, thereby ensuring that both parents are able to spend the most time with their child, with less time driving back and forth. It will also make it less troublesome to bring something to a child if he or she forgets something at the other parent’s house.

Share Financial Responsibility

Another thing that can help make co-parenting easier is to make every effort to share financial responsibility for the child. This means you’ll need to be involved in dividing the cost of tuition and extracurricular activities, as well as child support. Not only will having a plan in place for dividing childcare costs ensure that a child gets all the things that he needs, doing so can help eliminate stress later on and prevent conflict between the parents.

Keep a Record

Keeping a calendar and taking notes on your activities with your children can also be helpful when it comes to co-parenting. Doing so can help ensure that both parents comply with the terms of a parenting plan and don’t interfere with the other parent’s visitation. These records can also play an important role if custody becomes an issue later on and one parent needs to establish that the other failed to comply with the parenting plan.

Stay Involved

If you and your co-parent decide to split custody equally, then you’ll need to be sure to remain involved in your child’s life by picking up and dropping off from school, helping with homework, being involved in extracurricular activities (to the extent possible), attending doctor’s appointments, and generally sharing responsibility for day-to-day childcare.

Help Your Child Feel at Home

If you decide to share custody equally, you’ll be spending at least 50 percent of your time with your child, so it’s important to create a home environment that is comfortable for them. Make sure they have enough practical items, like clothing, hygiene products, and snacks, but also a place they can call their own. It can also be helpful to involve the child in decorating their living space.

Call Today for Help with Your Case

If you and your spouse have decided to share custody of your child, reach out to experienced Fort Lauderdale child visitation and time-sharing attorney Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. for help coming up with a plan that suits your family’s needs. You can set up a free consultation by calling our office at 954-945-7591 or by sending us an online message.

Sources:

floridabar.org/public/consumer/pamphlet010/

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

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