Common Mistakes to Avoid When Drafting a Parenting Plan

Divorces in Michigan can be complicated, especially if you and your partner have children in common. During this stressful time, a well-drafted parenting plan is essential to providing your child with a predictable schedule.

The more thought you put into crafting your parenting plan, the more likely the court will seriously consider your proposals. For many parents, though, the challenge lies in knowing where to start.

Avoid These Mistakes When Creating Your Parenting Plan

A parenting plan is more than just a list of the custody orders you want the court to enter. It should also reflect a thorough assessment of how you and your child’s other parent can effectively and respectfully co-parent.

As you create your parenting plan, you will want to avoid these common mistakes:

Not Putting Your Child First

Although parents draft and submit proposed parenting plans, these plans ultimately affect your child. Thus, your preferences and proposals should reflect your child’s needs.

For example, suppose that your child is involved in sports and trains during the summer. Your parenting plan should strive to interfere with this commitment as little as possible.

Alternatively, perhaps the other parent lives several hours away. A visitation schedule that allows the other parent to pick your child up on a Friday and return them on a Sunday may not be in your child’s best interests. The amount of time they spend with the other parent would be negligible, and the long travel can harm their well-being.

Not Respecting the Other Parent’s Rights

Children thrive when both parents are actively involved in their welfare and upbringing. Some parents, however, use their proposals to punish the other parent by limiting the other parent’s contact with the child. Parenting plans with these terms are likely to be ignored by the court.

Unless there is credible evidence suggesting that the other parent presents a danger to your child, the court will generally give the other parent regular and reasonable visitation. A parenting plan that recognizes this reality is more likely to be adopted by the court than one that does not.

Failing to Involve the Other Parent

In most cases, you will need to co-parent with your child’s other parent. Working together on a joint parenting plan gives you the greatest control over the orders a court will enter. A family law court will rarely reject a reasonable parenting plan that both parents have worked on and that they present as in their child’s best interests.

Even if you and the other parent cannot agree on every detail, you should attempt to find common ground where you can.

Gucciardo Family Law: Trusted Help for Michigan Parents

Partnering with an experienced Michigan family law attorney from Gucciardo Family Law can help you draft an effective parenting plan that protects the interests of both you and your child. By leveraging our extensive knowledge and experience, we can offer tailored guidance for your family’s unique needs.

Contact us today to get started on charting your future with a trusted legal advocate in your corner.