The Truth About Creating A Successful Parenting Plan in Your Separation or Divorce in Ontario! Part Four
Suppose you could just get along with your former spouse in raising your children successfully after your separation or divorce is over!
One important way to help you and your former spouse deal effectively with raising your children is to create a solid parenting plan.
Hi, my name is Thomas O’Malley. I’m an experienced family lawyer in Durham Region and the GTA.
You must give some careful thought to the decision-making process for your children in your parenting plan.
You and the other parent must make “major” decisions for your children. These major decisions include choice of school and educational needs of your children, such as psychological testing, tutoring, or special class placement.
Other major decisions include medical treatment, special dietary needs, long term medications, and other health care needs, such as therapy and counselling or vaccinations. You must also consider your children’s participation in extra-curricular activities, particularly if there is an expectation that both parents will be responsible for supporting the child’s engagement.
You can also have major decisions about faith, religious observances and cultural or ethnic heritage.
Parents may agree to make these decisions jointly, have them made by one parent, or divide different areas of decision-making between them. If there is an agreement that decisions are to be made jointly, there needs to be some mechanism, such as mediation, for resolving disputes if they are unable to agree.
In considering how major decisions about aspects of a child’s life will be made, it is important to understand that once a decision is about a particular matter is made, both parents will need to co-operate in order to effectively implement the decision.
This is especially true with decisions about education as it is likely under any parenting schedule that both parents will have some role in taking the child to or from school, assisting with homework, and meeting with teachers.
Medical decisions often require both parents to ensure that medication or other aspects of a treatment plan are followed.
Extracurricular activities will usually involve some support and transportation by both parents, particularly when the activity overlaps with both parents’ parenting time. The consequences of implementing decisions should be considered when a plan is made about the decision-making process.
While major, foreseeable decisions should be discussed in advance, in contrast, day-to-day and emergency decisions are usually made by the parent who is with the child at any given time.
The parent with care of a child will usually be permitted to make day-to-day decisions that concern their time with the children about issues such as doing homework, bedtime routines, meals and chores.
Even for these decisions and routines, it is better for parents to consult and talk with each other about them. While it must be recognized that each parent has the right to set their own “house rules”, it is generally helpful for children to have consistency and stability
While each parent is responsible for care and day-to-day decisions in their own home, it is especially important for parents to appreciate that the healthy development of infants and pre-school age children requires consistency in routines for sleeping, bedtimes and diet.
Make sure you spend some time with your family lawyer discussing this important issue in your separation or divorce.
If you have any questions about your separation, divorce or family law case and you would like our help, there’s a few ways to contact our office. You can leave a message on my Facebook law office page, visit my website at www.canadiandivorcelegaladvice.com, or call me directly at 905-434-8837. We would be happy to speak to you.
Oh, by the way, did you know you can protect your family law rights and get essential information on settling your family law issues with your former spouse with the daily indispensable family law advice and tips at my FREE Facebook group?
Click here to find out more: Durham Region Separation and Divorce Legal Support Group
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