What Mistakes Should You Avoid In Your Florida Parenting Plan?
During the divorce process, you and your spouse will have many issues to resolve. If you and your spouse have children, many disputes may resolve around child custody. The best way to resolve these issues is to agree on a parenting plan with your spouse so you can keep it out of the courtroom. Litigation is one of the costliest and most time-consuming ways to create a parenting plan. As you are creating your plan, there are some common mistakes it is important to avoid. Below, one of our Tampa child custody attorneys outlines what these are.
Not Having a Formal Arrangement
It is not uncommon for spouses to enter into the divorce process trying to remain as amicable and flexible as possible. When this happens, spouses often enter into an informal arrangement that is not clearly defined. This is a mistake. If a dispute arises in the future, you will not have anything in writing that will help you resolve the issue. Always have a specific, written schedule in place that will protect you and your children in the future.
Failing to Include a Moving Clause
Remember that at some point in the future, you or your spouse may want to move out of the city, or even out of the state. People often do this to take a new job, move closer to family, or because they just want a fresh start. This will greatly affect child custody arrangements. Always include a process for any move, particularly one that is 50 miles or more away.
Neglecting to Include Plans for Travel
Just as you or your spouse may want to move with the child at some point, you may also want to travel with them in the future. It is important to include a process to follow for this, as well. For example, you may include a provision that during parenting time, either spouse can travel with the child, but proper notice must be given and communication must continue.
Not Addressing Future Disputes
While you cannot predict what disputes will arise in the future, it is safe to say that you and your spouse will disagree about parenting time at some point. Include a provision within the parenting plan about how these disputes will be resolved. Just as you wanted to keep the initial child custody matter out of court, you should also try to avoid litigation in the future, as well. Consider including an alternative dispute resolution such as mediation in your parenting plan, to avoid stressful and costly headaches in the future.
Not Contacting a Child Custody Attorney in Tampa
Even if you believe your divorce will be amicable, it is still important to speak with a Tampa child custody attorney. At All Family Law Group, P.A., our experienced attorneys can help you create a parenting plan that includes all the important details, and that will be enforceable by the courts. Call us now at 813-672-1900 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Se habla Español.
Sources:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html
leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0044/0044.html
