Why is it important to protect a stable home for children during and after your divorce in Louisville? It is essential for parents who intend to share some form of child custody and parenting time to agree upon and maintain a consistent set of rules for their children. The Court carefully observes the choices and behaviors of each potential co-parent, as well as the present and future environments in which each child will potentially live. Consistency is most often in the best interests of the child.
There are far too many issues and strategies regarding child custody and parenting time to discuss here. How will time be divided between each parent? Does each parent have to live within the same school district in order to share custody of a child? How will the parties ensure each child has regular communications with and access to the other parent? Did you realize that any attempt to negatively affect the relationship between a child and the other parent – known as “parental alienation” – is a reason to limit your own custody and parenting time rights? How will child support be determined in your case, and will the amount of parenting time affect the amount of support in your case?
Generally speaking, the Court wants to help protect a stable home for children during and after your Louisville divorce. Every aspect of the existing rhythms in the child(ren)’s existing schedule will be analyzed, as well as your present level of involvement in every area of your child’s life. This is important to consider as you approach a divorce. If you want to share custody and parenting time, you will need to make sure you are doing the best job possible to be an active, participating parent in every aspect of their schedule.
Those who wish to share parenting must also ensure they are constantly focused on the principle of the “best interests of the child.” This is the standard our Family Court will apply. Work to facilitate effective communications with the other parent and to always preserve the best possible environment around each child. What steps can you take to protect your child and ensure their experience of the divorce is as positive as possible (given the fact the child is enduring their own issues associated with the divorce of their parents)? Do you, the other parent, and/or your child(ren) need the support of an experienced counselor?
The Court will consider the perspective of each child. The older the child, the more weight these stated preferences will usually carry. What compromises are you willing to consider? How flexible are you willing to be in order to protect your ability to spend consistent, regular quality time with your child(ren)? Parenting plans can be quite creative, and the experienced child custody and family law attorneys at Dodd and Dodd provide sound advice and counsel at each step along the way.
These are some of the reasons to protect a stable home for children during and after your Louisville divorce. Your behavior, skill, and consistent involvement as a parent will have a substantial impact on your ability to successfully accomplish your child custody and parenting time goals. It is always best to meet with our attorneys as soon as possible to evaluate where you are as a parent and the steps (if any) you need to take to improve your ability to accomplish your goals in this area.
We invite you to review the strong recommendations of our former clients and the legal industry and contact Dodd & Dodd or call 502-584-1108 to schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys.
