Hi, my name is Kirsten Krueger and two years ago, I was in a car accident. I was stopped at a stop sign when the driver behind me slammed into my car. Due to my injuries, I had to spend a few days in the hospital and I was unable to work for two months. My medical care was expensive and without being able to work, I couldn't pay my bills. The car accident was stressful enough and then I had to worry about how I would pay my bills. After speaking with a car accident lawyer, it wasn't long before I was compensated for my medical bills and lost wages from work. I'm writing this blog to help others who have been a car accident and haven't received any compensation. As you read my posts, you'll learn how an attorney can help you if you're in a vehicle accident.
Shared custody arrangements can be tough because they require both parents to work together even though they have just undergone a difficult divorce. In order for the children's lives to continue functioning, both parents are going to need to talk to each other about schedules, pick-up times, rules, and discipline. Doing so will allow the children to maintain a level of stability in their life and make it through the divorce transition much more easily. Here are some tips for making the most out of shared custody.
1. Allow Kids to Have Input in Some Custody Agreements
When you have shared custody, the time that the children spend with you and the other parent is split relatively equally. As your children get older, you might find that they prefer certain houses on certain days. If your house is farther from the high school and they have hockey practice at six in the morning, your kids might prefer to stay with the other parent on the day that they have hockey practice to get an extra twenty minutes of sleep. If you have a full, in-home entertainment system, your kids might prefer to stay with you on Friday and Saturday nights so that they have somewhere to hang out with their friends.
If you allow your kids to have some input about which houses they stay in on what days, you will be able to ensure that everyone gets a little bit of what they want and is more likely to make it through shared parenting intact and happy. Talk to your family lawyer about sessions that your kids can attend and make sure that you introduce your kids to the family lawyer so that they can get more comfortable around him or her.
2. Set Guidelines
If need be, talk to the other parent about writing certain rules into the shared parenting agreement. You will need to get your respective family lawyers to help with this. If you really care about what time the kids go to bed on school nights and the other parent really cares that they eat at least one type of vegetable per meal, then you might be able to compromise and get some of what you both want in a legally binding agreement.
3. Make Communications Private
Create a communications channel that only you and the other parent have access to and check regularly. You don't want your children to see your negotiations of pick-up times because it might make them feel like they are being excluded from important decision making. Having a private channel will also give you and the other parent the opportunity to discuss problems without the kids finding out.
For more information, talk to a family lawyer, like one from Pagel Family Law.
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