CHILD CUSTODY AGREEMENTS ADD NEW COMPLEXITIES TO DIVORCE DETAILS

On behalf of Askvig & Johnson, PLLP 

Couples pursuing divorce in the Twin Cities and surrounding Minnesota areas may face serious discussions as they attempt to settle on the details of child custody.

While many couples assume that custody agreements solely relate to residential and visitation schedules, they encompass much more. In fact, for those who decide on co-parenting, agreements can be very detailed with child-rearing preferences.

Oftentimes, a custody agreement includes a parenting plan to facilitate the implementation of well-defined details in a parenting, and to avoid gray areas which could result in the need to go back to court. When designing a parenting plan, it is important to consider the prevalent issues that are important to your child. The following are among some of the details those divorcing in Minnesota may want to consider:

• Issues Pertaining to Faith: Those in interfaith marriages may want to be especially cognizant of laying out the details regarding the religious traditions in which the child will be raised, as well as when, how often and with whom children will attend church.

• Holidays: Many parents consider carefully the division of custody on holidays and the importance it plays in the details of your custody agreement. Coming to an agreement on this early on may help to avoid arguments later.

• Education and Health: Since these issues affect families until children reach adulthood, they should be discussed at length and planned accordingly. Many parents include information about schooling and medication choices in their custody agreements.

Although hashing out a parenting plan can be a difficult and emotional process, it can also help avoid stress from occurring later due to unspoken or implied agreements. For some families, it is best to write a vague parenting plan, so that it may be revisited and adjusted as children grow. For others, it can be useful to include strict, spelled-out guidelines. The counsel of your Minnesota divorce attorney should help to assure that you address all of the important details during this process.

Source: The Washington Post, "Divorce's details: custody agreements are getting more complex," Michelle Boorstein, Dec. 21, 2011