As a parent, you have a lot of things to consider if you are going through a divorce. The matters that are covered in your child support order are some of the most important ones. In this agreement, you will find information about how you and your ex will handle matters related to the children you share. In order to reduce the likelihood of problems in the future, there are many points that you have to be sure you decide on now.
You have to find out who is going to make decisions for the child. This includes decisions about school, religion, health care, and other important matters. The child support order might stipulate that one parent makes all of the decisions in a specific area or it might stipulate that you and your ex have to make decisions together. In some cases, the child custody order might name the court as the decision maker.
You have to know whom the child is going to be with when. This includes where the child will live, which parent will have the child on specific holidays, how vacations will be handled, and other similar factors. This part of a child custody order is widely customizable, so think about any special points you would like to try to get included here and see if you can work those into the negotiations.
No matter what, you have to remember that your child’s best interests, not what is easiest for the adults, is what is focus is in these cases. Be sure that you are thinking of your child and trying to make decisions based on that; however, also make sure that you know your rights so you can ensure that they are being respected as you work through the issues.
Source: FindLaw, “Custody Considerations: Step-By-Step,” accessed Dec. 09, 2016