If you have recently been divorced and have children from that marriage, joint custody could require you to share the parenting duties with your former spouse.

Co-parenting can be difficult after a divorce. The mere sight of your former spouse might be enough to cause your blood pressure to rise, but always is important to remember that your children need to have beneficial relationships with both parents.

Unless your spouse is an unfit parent, there is no reason to make joint custody any more difficult than it already is for you and your children. It never is a good idea to speak ill of your spouse in front of your children or use them as pawns against your spouse.

Some simple tips could help to make the co-parenting experience more beneficial for your children. They also might help you to maintain a reasonably friendly relationship with your former spouse.

Create and Maintain Reasonable Co-Parenting Arrangements

You will need to arrange a schedule for child custody and child support if one parent earns significantly more than the other. You can decide in advance if one parent should pay for extracurricular activities for the children or if costs should be split equally.

You also will need to transfer the children from one home to the next in accordance with the parenting schedule. You should try to make that as easy and convenient as possible for both parents and the children alike.

Communicate and Have a Backup Plan

It always is important to maintain and use the lines of communication with the co-parent of your children. Communication can help to address the minor issues that could affect co-parenting after a divorce.

Minor issues could make it difficult for one parent to follow through on responsibilities for a day, week, or maybe longer. Unexpected car trouble might make it impossible for that parent to deliver or pick up the children.

No matter what the problem might be, both parents should clearly communicate with each other and adapt to the situation. It can help to have a backup plan, like possibly having one or both sets of grandparents help with the temporary issue.

Be Flexible with Holidays and Schedule Changes

Holidays are important times for most families, but shared custody means one parent will have to go without children during some holidays. You can create a child custody schedule that takes holidays into account so that both parents can enjoy quality family time during the holidays.

A simple and effective method is to alternate holidays and years for shared custody. For example, the kids could stay with one parent during the winter holidays during even-numbered years and with the other parent during odd-numbered years.

Significant changes in your life or your former spouse’s life could trigger the need to amend the custody agreement. If something does occur, both parents should do their best to accept the changes and amend the child custody agreement to reflect the lifestyle changes that could occur.

Burlington County Child Support Lawyers at Burnham Douglass Help to Enforce Parental Rights

If you need to modify your child custody agreement, our experienced Burlington County child support lawyers at Burnham Douglass can help. You can call us at 856-751-5505 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation at our law offices in Marlton and Northfield, New Jersey. We represent clients throughout

New Jersey, Camden County, Burlington County, Atlantic County, Gloucester County, and Mercer County.