Parenting Time Tables
Parenting time is the residential time you spend with your child. Structuring parenting time carefully is very important because it will have a big impact on your child’s life. The parenting time schedule will affect your child’s relationships with you and the other parent. Consequently, the quality and quantity of time you each spend with your child should be carefully planned.
Parenting time should be structured in a way that supports the parent-child relationship. A schedule that promotes healthy routine interactions with both parents may be most beneficial. Typically, the child will live with the primary custodial parent the majority of the time. The non-custodial parent may have parenting time periodically with the child. For example, a child may spend their weekdays with one parent while spending weekends with the other. This schedule is usually least disruptive to the school week.
Both courts and researchers see frequent contact with both parents as ideal for healthy childhood development. Making this work despite work and school schedules can be difficult. This is even truer if you do not live near the other parent. If a weekly schedule won’t work, parenting time can be structured in other ways. The court may grant the non-custodial parent parenting time on certain school breaks, birthdays, and holidays. If desired, the parents can alternate these special occasions. For example, the father may have the child for Christmas in odd years and the mother may have the child for Christmas in even years.
Structuring parenting time is hard to do. Few issues raise as much conflict in divorce cases. It can be hard for parents to negotiate a schedule that looks out for the best interests of their child. You may need to look at several factors to do so. Make sure you consider travel-time, work and school schedules, and your child’s wishes. If you cannot agree on matters, you may need to mediate or go to court. In this case, you may want speak with an attorney. If you do reach an agreement, you should have an attorney prepare a formal document for you to solemnify your agreement.
Help Is Available
A skilled child custody attorney can help you structure your parenting time in a way that works for you and your family. An attorney can help ensure the parenting time schedule is truly in your child’s best interests. He or she can also assist you with developing a strong parenting plan. A good parenting time schedule and parenting plan is the key to successful parenting in the future.
Do you need to create a parenting time schedule? Williams Law Group, LLC can help you develop a schedule that benefits your child. Located in Union, New Jersey, Williams Law Group, LLC provides compassionate and dedicated legal services to Union, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Monmouth, and Middlesex counties, and the surrounding areas. Our knowledgeable attorneys handle divorce and family law, child custody, and child abuse/neglect cases. Call our office at (908) 810-1083, email us at info@awilliamslawgroup.com, or contact us through our confidential online form to schedule a consultation and ultimately get you connected with an experienced New Jersey divorce and child custody attorney.