New year…new opportunities to co-parent effectively. We know it can sometimes be quite challenging, which is why we’d like to offer some basic guidance on how to effectively work together to make decisions for the kids.
As you are ringing in the new year, think about how you can make your life easier and less stressful and improve the emotional and physical well-being of your children by working better with the other parent. This may not be the easiest thing to do, but co-parenting successfully can be a valuable tool in maintaining a good quality of life for you and your kids.
Co-parenting Tips—Getting Things Started
If it is at all possible, have a conversation with the other parent and discuss what you would like to do to effectively work together for the sake of the children. Think about what kind of joint decisions you want to make and how you can share these tasks going forward.
If there is already a court order in place for custody and visitation, it may contain some provisions that you arrived at during mediation or during negotiations before the orders were made. These provisions may be working or they may need to be changed or adjusted.
Talk these things over and listen to the other parent, too; try to have a productive discussion that leads to a joint decision to work together to co-parent your children. If you reach an agreement, any existing court orders should be modified in writing and submitted to the court so they can be enforced.
Co-parenting Tips—Consider Counseling
You could also consider going to co-parent counseling, where they’ll offer you co-parenting tips to help you navigate parenting together.
In San Diego County, the court has a list of approved providers that you can find here. Some of the providers may offer family counseling and others may offer a series of classes.
All these resources can help you find a path to a less difficult co-parenting relationship. With any luck, if you are proactive and actually want to work well with the other parent, maybe he or she will feel the same way and down the road this will be of great benefit to you and your children.
An Experienced Attorney Can Help You Navigate Co-parenting Challenges
Whether you’re going through a divorce or need assistance with other family law matters, an experienced attorney can help.
If you’re ready to take the next steps in your divorce case, contact JWB Family Law to schedule a free consultation.
A Certified Family Law Specialist, or CFLS, is an attorney who has obtained certification in the standards of California family law and demonstrated optimal legal competence. Attorneys who obtain this certification have specific expertise in all aspects of family law, which includes divorce or the dissolution of marriage, child and spousal support, child custody, and temporary restraining orders, among other areas of emphasis.
Not every attorney practicing family law has obtained this certification. In fact, the designation remains relatively rare—there are fewer than 2,000 CFLS attorneys in California and fewer than 200 in San Diego.
When you work with JWB Family Law, you can rest assured that your personal family situation and concerns are being handled by a team that has the specialization and expertise you need to bring your issues to resolution.