Co-parenting after separation

On a daily basis I come across more individuals and couples focusing on financial settlement than on their children’s future arrangements.

Unfortunately, some people believe once they financially separate or get the Divorce Order, they will no longer have to deal with their former partner. If you have children, this is usually not the case – you will always be linked to the other parent because of your children.

There is more to consider with making children’s arrangements than child support or the division of time the child(ren) spend with each parent. Parents need to consider some of these important decisions;

• Which parent retains the child(ren)’s passport?

• When is the right time to introduce new partners?

• What is a fair changeover location if one parent decides to move far away?

• How do parents communicate with their young children when they are apart?

• How do parents make decisions on schooling and living arrangements if one parent decides to relocate far away?

• If the resident parent is away on business or personal travel, does the non-resident parent get first right of refusal to look after the children?

• How long can the children travel abroad with each parent?

• How do parents resolve parenting disputes in the future?

The family law system encourages separating parents to work out arrangements for children between themselves without having to go to court. There are different ways you can go about this.

One effective way of making children’s arrangements is by developing a Parenting Plan. If you are looking for more guidance on parenting after separation, Simple Separation highly recommends The Divorce Centre for a Parenting after Separation program. A Parenting Plan is a written agreement and a legal agreement (once signed by both parents) covering practical issues of parental responsibility. The Parenting Plan can then be made legally binding into Parenting Consent Orders, if the parties wish to do so.

If you are leaning in the direction of a child-focused separation or divorce, click here to find out how Simple Separation works with families on developing Parenting Plans, resolving parenting disputes and making children’s arrangements legally binding.

Christina Salvo, is the founder and CEO of Simple Separation, a ‘child-focused’ online divorce settlement service. Click here to find out more about our Simple Separation Family Dispute Resolutions Practitioners. To book a free consultation with one of our separation consultants, click here.