An Online Calendar Streamlines A Shared Custody Arrangement
Posted on: 27 January 2015
You and your spouse want to share custody of your children after your divorce, which can be a win-win situation for everyone. However, it gets complicated when you factor in holidays and other special events, school vacations and requests from the kids. An effective way to manage this is to require a shared custody calendar in your legal arrangement. The two of you work together to set up this document, and your family law attorneys make sure the pertinent details are included in the legal agreement.
The Shared Custody Calendar
Twenty-first century technology makes a shared custody calendar easier than ever. The calendar is created online on a site that you and your ex-spouse access with a password. Numerous websites offer this feature, so take time to learn about them and decide which you prefer.
The fundamental schedule includes the regular dates that the kids stay with you or your ex. For instance, they may stay with you Saturday morning through Tuesday afternoon, and with their other parent the rest of the week. Another example involves a set schedule for weekdays with alternating weekends. The two of you work this out however is best for your family.
Adjustments and Exceptions
As long as your relationship is relatively amicable, you shouldn't have too much trouble with adjustments to the schedule. For instance, if you want to go out of town on one of your scheduled weekends, you might simply swap weekends or let your ex have the extra weekend entirely. If your birthday falls on a day when your ex normally has the children, you can request that they spend the day with you instead.
One welcome feature for divorced couples is not having to talk to each other about schedule changes. You can simply make your requests and your acceptances online through the calendar system.
Bigger changes may need to be addressed in a more formal process. It's good to revisit the shared custody calendar each year for possible modifications, as well as whenever the family has decided to make a significant modification to the schedule.
Revisiting the Calendar
You and your ex might eventually marry other people and even have more children. Stepchildren may be part of the family. As your kids grow older, they probably will have their own needs and preferences in regard to the custody calendar.
If any substantial changes to the calendar will be made, such as one child staying with you all week rather than going back and forth, you should change this in the legal arrangement as well. Contact your lawyers to have these types of modifications made official.
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