Sorting Out Children’s Needs When Parents Part

When you are getting a divorce, your children come to mind first. How are you going to pay for the kids’ needs? Where are they going to live, and when? What school will they go to, and who will pick them up? These questions may seem difficult to answer, but parents have to figure them out.

My firm, the Law Office of Robert N. Getz, P.S., is highly experienced in helping parents negotiate new or modified child care arrangements. Most of the details can be decided and listed in a parenting plan. I can help you include all the details that a good parenting plan needs and reduce the stress that these disputes can often cause.

The Easiest Way to Ensure Agreements on Child Care

People may relate divorce and child custody proceedings to contentious matters eventually ending in court battles. But most of these agreements are created out of court, only requiring the approval of a judge. You can create a parenting plan informally or through mediation, before lawyers help write the final and formal version for court approval. This avoids the time, effort and stress of a court hearing.

Courts and lawmakers in Washington state are always most concerned with the best interests of the child in family law cases. Details for care, expenses, living and visitation will all affect custody and support arrangements, so you should think through these issues thoroughly with your attorney.

Parenting plans should include the location of physical custody, which is where the child will primarily live. Related arrangements include visitation rights, such as weekends and holidays, as well as whether a noncustodial parent may have the first option to babysit. Extended family contact and visitation is also important, even after the possible death of a parent while a child is still a minor. Your plan should also include ways to address future disputes or the need for changes.

The Collaborative Approach Helps Parents and Children

Different people and careers need different kinds of parenting plans to help them be the best parents possible. My legal representation can help create these parenting plans with a collaborative approach that eases the stress this process can often cause. The right agreement can prevent problems and misunderstandings in the future of child custody issues.

Get in Touch Today

My law office is there to serve parents in the region of Everett, Washington, to create the parenting plan that is right for them. Email me for a free consultation or call 425-405-6278 to speak to one of our staff and explore our services.