Child custody negotiations can be contentious when Georgia parents cannot agree regarding what arrangements will serve their children’s best interests. When parents can’t find common ground and execute their own parenting plans, the courts may step in and mandate how two parents will share in the legal and physical custodial responsibilities of their kids. However, many sets of parents can work together to create parenting plans that acknowledge their children’s needs and include both parents in the upbringing of their offspring.
Parenting plans should, at a minimum, recognize several important factors. First, if parents will share physical custody of their child they should agree that the parent with custody of the child should have the right to make parenting decisions when emergencies and other situations arise. This can reduce the need for parents to consult over every parenting decision and ensure that children receive what they need in a timely fashion.
Second, parents may agree that their parenting plan will change as their children grow and their needs become altered. Parents can do well to maintain their relationships with their kids as those changes occur and can support them as they transition toward adulthood.
Third, parenting plans should include details about important holidays and birthdays, such as where the child will be on those dates and how they will be transported from their parents’ households. Working out these and other matters can help parents avoid custody disputes later on.
Children over the age of 14 in Georgia can decide where they want to live when their parents go through divorce, but in the end all child custody and parenting plan matters must work toward the best interests of the kids. To begin managing a child custody issue readers are encouraged to speak with family law attorneys about their unique legal needs.
