Are you going through a divorce or separation and trying to come up with an agreement for a shared parenting schedule for your children in Washington state? You have come to the right article for some practical tips from an experienced divorce lawyer in Vancouver, Washington.
Key Topics to Discuss When Creating a Parenting Plan in Washington
When you are going through a divorce or separation in Washington state you will quickly realize that you are required to use a bunch of complicated forms to complete the process. I have found that for parents who want to reach an agreement on the schedule for their kids, it is easier to ignore the required forms for a second and just come up with an agreement in your own words first.
Here are the major topics you will want to cover and discuss:
1. The residential schedule during the school year
How will you share the kids during the school year? A common schedule that provides for a limited number of transitions for your school-age kids is a week on week off schedule between the parents, rotating each Friday after school.
2. The residential schedule during the summer
How will you share the kids during the summer break? A common schedule is keeping the schedule the same as during the school year, except both parents get two weeks of consecutive time with the kids (so that you can go on longer vacation trips each year if you want).
3. The residential schedule for other major school breaks and holidays
This would include breaks like Winter Break, Spring Break, Thanksgiving Break, all three-day holidays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July, Easter, and Halloween. Most commonly, parents just agree to rotate these evenly every other year. For example, one parent has a certain holiday with the kids in even years, and the other parent has the kids on that holiday in odd years. On the following year, the parents flip who has each of the specified holidays. It all evens out over time if you are rotating every other year.
4. Major decision making
How you will make major decisions together. Most commonly, the parents agree to joint decision-making, where decisions have to be made together, but sometimes one parent is granted sole control. What is considered a typical “major decision”? All non-emergency health care and education related decisions.
5. Transportation.
Where are you going to exchange the kids and how are you sharing the driving? It is common for the “picking up parent” to drive to pick up the kids. In other words, whoever is starting their parenting time drives that leg. Parents commonly exchange their kids either at school or curbside at their houses.
Tips for Designing an Effective and Flexible Parenting Schedule
Here are some additional and important tips for coming up with a good parenting schedule and agreement:
1. Don’t get too specific
You will want some structure and some details in this parenting schedule, but you don’t want it to be too detailed for several reasons. You don’t want to get too specific with rules and procedures because life will happen and things rarely go exactly according to plan when you have kids. Further, you don’t want to create a situation where you are now micromanaging each other’s parenting time in order to ensure that the other parent is “following the rules”. Rather, both parents should be expected (and given the leeway) to parent and care for the children while they are in their care. Generally, the court will want each parent to be able to have independence on things like: who helps them with child care during their time, the children’s diets, amount of screen time, etc. I would recommend you don’t put specific requirements in place for those topics and you allow each other to have some autonomy.
2. Address Special Circumstances.
There are unique circumstances where it may be a good idea to get a little more specific in your parenting schedule. For example, if either parent has unique work schedules, the child has unique health issues, the parent has a unique health issue, etc. Situations that are objectively unusual are typically better suited to have a bit more structure set in place.
At this time, you should get out a blank piece of paper, sit down with your co-parent, discuss each of these topics, and write down your thoughts. Once you have hashed all of that out and found some common ground, it will be a lot easier to then memorialize your thoughts with the required Washington state divorce forms.
Ready to Create a Successful Parenting Plan? Connect with an Experienced Divorce Attorney in Vancouver, Washington Today!
Creating an effective parenting plan during a divorce or separation is crucial for ensuring the well-being of your children and fostering a cooperative co-parenting relationship. By focusing on flexibility and practicality, you can craft a schedule that accommodates the needs of both parents and children. Remember that life is unpredictable, so in most cases allowing room for adjustments as circumstances change is advisable.
If you are feeling like you need help with that next step or formalizing your agreement, please feel free to reach out to me for advice and assistance. I am here to support you in creating a plan that works best for your family, ensuring a stable and positive environment for your children.
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Disclaimer
Every legal issue is very unique. Accordingly, the information in this blog is intended as general education material and not as legal advice. If you think you may have a legal issue, you should consult an attorney.