When parents end a relationship, whether married or not, one of the most important considerations is co-parenting your children. Children of ended relationships need extra care and consideration during this difficult time. To help, you both should work together to form a good, healthy co-parenting plan.

When you have joint legal custody of your children, you have to work together to mutually agree on the decisions pertaining to your children, such as choice of school and medical treatments. The following are some considerations to keep in mind as you think about your co-parenting arrangement.

To start, you both need to understand the importance of a co-parenting plan. The plan is a way you can both present yourselves as a united front for your children. You can tailor your plan based on the needs of your children and special circumstances you have.

You can change your co-parenting plan as your children age or if things change in your lives, such as moving out of your state. To best set the foundation, you both need to communicate about your plan and how you can work together to make co-parenting successful.

Some topics to cover during your conversation include daily and weekly school routines, extra-curricular activities and corresponding schedules, holiday schedules, vacations, and boundaries for travelling. You also should talk about when or if one of you cannot accommodate the schedule or you have an emergency that impacts the plan.

Just because you do not all live together as a family does not mean you cannot have family rules. Having a set of rules that apply to both parent's homes allows the children to understand that the same rules and policies stand in both houses no matter what. Setting family rules that apply in both homes also sets a united front for your children. This will help avoid potential conflicts.

Examples of family rules may include curfew times, how long a child may spend on the computer, when friends may come over to the home, and whether or not a child is allowed to use a cell phone. You both need to set strict expectations and consequences for breaking the family rules. In addition, you both need to commit to following through with these terms.

Failure to follow the family rules and consequences makes it easier for the children to favor one parent over the other. This can ultimately lead to serious breakdowns in the family and undo all the good you have done for your co-parenting efforts.

Ultimately, your co-parenting plan may have to go to family court to ensure it is fair to both of you and serves the needs of your children. Once the judge signs off on your arrangement, you both must follow the agreement. Certain sections of your co-parenting plan, such as custody and child support, are crucial and can come with serious consequences if you violate either part.

If something happens and you cannot honor your side of the co-parenting agreement, you cannot simply decide you will not comply. There are serious ramifications for going against a legal agreement.

Should there be a time in which you cannot honor the agreement in any way, you need to inform the other parent and your attorney. You can always modify your agreement, but you have to do so properly through the court system.

If you have any questions about a family law matter, please contact us at William C. Poole, LLC. We are here to help you with your legal needs regarding child custody and other family law issues.