Which is Right for your Family? Divorce transforms the spousal relationship into one based on the joint enterprise of parenting, governed by custody schedules and decision-making arrangements. There are two basic approaches to this new relationship, cooperative and parallel parenting. The appropriate model depends on the parents’ ability to contain their conflict. Where they can, cooperative parenting, or “co-parenting,” preferred, but parallel parenting may be necessary to avoid potential for … [Read more...]
What is a Parenting Plan?
In 2005, the Texas Legislature revised child custody by requiring that the parties or a judge develop a parenting plan to allocate rights and duties. The elements of a parenting plan include who may exercise various parental rights and duties, who will pay child support and whether a parenting coordinator is needed to facilitate co-parenting post-divorce. Parents submit a proposed parenting plan to the court and if accepted, the court will issue a parenting order. Developing a parenting plan can … [Read more...]
Co-parenting, Technology and the 21st Century
Avoiding the Pitfalls Thanks to affordable mobile technology, there has never been a time like now when co-parents and children are quickly and easily accessible. It is easy to see the benefits of such technology: access to children’s events, news, instantly communicating with your family. For co-parents, strategic planning is needed to avoid any of the pitfalls these tools might bring. Text messages, e-mail, photos, videos and social media posts can all be kindling in the fire of … [Read more...]
