Madison Co-Parenting Lawyer

What is Co-Parenting?

Co-parenting is an important aspect of any child custody case. When parents share joint custody of children, they will need to be able to work together to make important decisions and ensure that their children's needs will be met at all times. If you are involved in a divorce or family law case in Madison, Wisconsin, and you need to ensure that child custody issues will be addressed correctly, an experienced attorney can help you reach agreements with the other parent that will allow you both to be effective co-parents in the years to come.

At John T. Fields & Associates, LLC, our family law and divorce lawyers provide invaluable legal advice and guidance to ensure that complex child custody matters will be handled correctly. We can work with you to create an effective parenting plan that you and the other parent can agree on, and we will make sure your plan is tailored to the unique needs of your family while providing stability and security for everyone involved. Our goal is to help you navigate through legal proceedings related to divorce or child custody while minimizing stress and difficulty and ensuring that your children's best interests will be given the top priority.

Focusing on Co-Parenting During Your Child Custody Case

Even though you and your children's other parent may no longer be in a relationship, the two of you will remain connected through your children for the rest of your lives. While you may currently struggle to get along, and you may disagree about various issues related to your children or the reasons for the end of your relationship, it will often be best for everyone involved if you can eventually put these disputes behind you and focus on what is best for your children.

Establishing a new relationship as co-parents is not always easy, but it can help you make sure you will be able to work together to meet your children's needs. Making an effort to cooperate with each other, be flexible, and always be there when your children need you can benefit you, your children, the other parent, and other members of your family.

Creating an Effective Parenting Plan

A parenting plan is one of the key building blocks of a successful co-parenting relationship. This plan will be part of your divorce decree, and you and the other parent can negotiate its terms as you work to reach a settlement in your case. Issues that may be addressed in a parenting plan include:

• How legal custody will be shared or divided - You may agree that you and the other parent will have equal rights and responsibilities when it comes to making decisions for your children. However, depending on your relationship and your family's circumstances, you may choose to have one parent be responsible for decisions related to medical care, education, child care, extracurricular activities, or other issues.
• How child placement will be divided - Your parenting plan will include a schedule detailing when children will stay at each parent's home or spend time in their care on a weekly or biweekly basis. It will also address schedules for various holidays, vacations, or other special days.
• How transportation arrangements for children will be handled - A parenting plan may detail where you will exchange children, such as picking them off or dropping them off at either parent's home, meeting in public locations, or having third parties such as family members handle transportation. If necessary, you may agree on who will be responsible for paying expenses related to transportation.
• Where children will go to school.
• The doctors or medical facilities that will provide medical care for your children.
• Where children will receive child care and how the costs of child care will be divided between parents.
• The religion children will be raised in, if any.
• Acceptable forms of contact between children and parents - You and the other parent may agree on when and how each parent can communicate with children while they are in the care of the other parent, such as by phone call, video chat, text message, or email. You may also agree to keep each other informed of children's school projects and activities and assist children in purchasing gifts for the other parent.
• How variable expenses will be shared by parents - While child support is intended to ensure that basic expenses for children are shared, you may also agree to divide other expenses that may be necessary. Variable costs addressed in a parenting plan may include school supplies and fees, vehicle expenses for teen drivers, clothing, activities, electronic devices, or other lifestyle needs.
• How disputes between parents will be resolved - To help avoid serious conflicts, a parenting plan may detail how disagreements will be addressed. Your plan may state that you will work to resolve disputes cooperatively or seek help from outside parties, such as family members, clergy, counselors, or mediators.

Contact Our Madison Parenting Plan Attorneys

Having an experienced attorney on your side is key to creating a parenting plan that meets the needs of your family. At John T. Fields & Associates, LLC, we understand how important it is for parents to be able to work together to raise their children. Our knowledgeable attorneys can ensure that all legal issues in your case are addressed properly, and we will advise you on how you may be able to reach an amicable resolution to any disputes you encounter. We have years of experience helping clients come up with creative solutions in these situations, and we encourage you to contact us at 608-729-3590 to learn more about how we can help you craft co-parenting agreements that will work for you.