When co-parents share custody of their children evenly, everyone in the family can benefit from this arrangement if it is managed in a healthy and sustainable way. Sharing custody is a noble goal, but is not always an easy one to achieve. Understanding the potential hiccups that may occur along the way and approaching them proactively may help to mitigate the risk of significant disputes erupting down the road. Thinking ahead is critical when constructing a co-parenting plan, modifying a co-parenting plan, and executing a co-parenting plan. Co-parents should also remember that a child custody lawyer, like a child custody lawyer in Austin, TX, may serve as valuable resources during any of these processes. Asking for support when co-parents could benefit from experienced guidance is generally a very good idea.
Keep Your Focus on Your Child
One of the most significant challenges co-parents face is, quite simply, the reality of having to deal with each other all the time. Couples drift apart for any number of reasons and most of the time, it is not easy to find yourself compelled to interact with your ex on a regular basis. Old pain, frustration, and annoyances tend to resurface when tensions run high. It is for this reason that one of the most effective parenting tools available is simply honoring the priority to keep your focus on your child rather than each other.
Some parents find it helpful to keep a picture of their child close when composing emails, sending texts, or talking on the phone with their co-parent. Having this visual reminder in place helps ensure that the words being spoken and messages being sent have to do with the child’s best interest in mind, not the emotional challenges of having to interact with one’s ex. When you focus on what is best for your child instead of putting your personal emotions front and center, it becomes a little easier to behave in ways that directly benefit your child regardless of the situation.
Flexibility When Appropriate
One of the other significant challenges of sharing custody of a child is responding to variations in scheduling, practical needs, and circumstances. Life has a way of becoming unpredictable at inconvenient times. Remaining flexible, when possible and appropriate, is key when co-parenting. Inflexibility leads to stress for both parents and stress for all the children involved in the situation. If your co-parent is consistently taking advantage of your willingness to be flexible, it may be time to seek some legal guidance about how to fix this imbalance, but when possible and appropriate, flexibility tends to benefit everyone.
Child Custody Guidance Is Available
If you have questions about child custody, parenting plans, or modifications to existing orders, please do not hesitate to connect with an experienced family law attorney. Lawyers experienced in family legal disputes serve as excellent resources for co-parents determined to make their children’s home life as stable, loving, and effective as possible.
A common misunderstanding exists in popular culture which insists that attorneys only serve a productive purpose when one individual is interested in taking another to court. Please note that an experienced family lawyer can help you and your co-parent avoid court and help your child at the same time. Experienced legal guidance can prove useful in virtually any co-parenting situation, so please consider reaching out any time that you and your family could benefit from some support.
Call Gray & Becker, P.C. for their insight into how to make a 50/50 child custody agreement as effective as possible.
