What to Put in a Custody Agreement

You need to decide what type of custody each parent will have and include it in your agreement. Changing your child`s guard X allows you to include as many additional provisions regarding your child`s care and custody as you want. You can choose from the popular options and enter custom options that match your individual situation. Provisions on where each parent lives and their ability to move within or outside a current school district should be included in the child care agreement. The agreement should also specify how and when the parent who wishes to move must inform the other parent. I will start this article in advance by saying that I am not a lawyer. Nothing you are about to read is legal advice. This is a culmination of the data collected from my tribe of mothers-in-law and our shared experiences of co-parenting with custodial arrangements. Maryland law states that both parents are natural guardians with equal rights to raise and care for their children. A court may grant three types of custody: (1) single, (2) split, or (3) joint. These can actually get a bit complicated, so be sure to talk to your lawyer if you don`t understand what they are. Here are some of the provisions you have accepted: Which school district will the child attend? If one of the parents has primary custody, it can be assumed that the child will attend school in his or her school district. But still, let it write clearly in the agreement.

In addition, the fact that the child attends school in Parent A`s school district does not mean that Parent A can make all the important decisions. Custody: Legal custody allows a parent to make decisions about the child`s upbringing, medical care, and other important long-term issues. Custody is designed to facilitate decision-making for future legal decisions that will have a significant impact on the child. Custody is agreed by both parents. A custody arrangement will ideally deal with travel and vacation. For example, if one of the parents has a family in another country, the parents must agree on the possibility for the child to travel abroad. Holiday destinations and holiday duration must also be agreed. Some locations or activities may not be mutually agreed upon by both parents. Be prepared to compromise on important things like visiting hours, holidays, weekends, and birthdays. You may not get everything you`d expect from the custody agreement, but compromises with your co-parent are better for everyone in the long run. California courts suggest that an agreement on the type of custody each parent will receive as soon as possible will help avoid complications as they progress.

A custody agreement should include guidelines on how the child will live each day. What type of discipline is appropriate? When will the child go to bed? Expectations regarding food and meals, personal care and hygiene, as well as the care of the child`s property may also be part of the agreement. For example, should the child make a bag for visits or do certain clothes, toys or other belongings remain in the hands of the non-custodial parent? If you make changes, you can submit them to the court and ask a judge to change your agreement accordingly. How far in advance should one parent inform the other of a move? A common theme in custody agreements is that each parent must notify the other parent and the court 30 days in advance of a change of address. In my husband`s first custody agreement, vacation was defined as « one week. » This led to complications, because to « get him on time », we were doing lunch exchanges on Saturdays, and it didn`t make much sense. In the amendment, it has been changed to weeks that start on Friday evening and end on Monday morning (usually school dropout) after 10 nights. Keep in mind that a judge doesn`t know you, your personal background, or your child, so what`s in your custody agreement is their only insight into who you are as a parent. If you and your co-parent can`t even understand what your agreement means, how can you expect an unin interested third party to determine if it`s in the best interests of a child? For anyone struggling with the same question, my tribe of mothers-in-law helped me put together this comprehensive list of items that we found useful in our custody arrangements.

If you`re in a situation where you need to apply for custody of your child, you may not know where to start. One thing you should do from the beginning is a custody agreement. Think about what makes the most sense and what would cause conflict if it weren`t clearly described. Although each custody agreement is different, several common topics are discussed: in-laws are considered another caregiver, unless otherwise specified in the agreement. If your child care contract uses the example above and your spouse has been called to work for a period of five hours, you will need to contact the other parent and ask if they would like to keep the children during that period. The other parent has the « first right » to the children during this period. But what gets lost in a custody agreement? Technically, you can include almost anything you want in the deal, but there are 10 specific things you definitely need to make sure of. Consider the holidays you want to cover in the agreement. Does « Grandparents` Day » count as a holiday for you? Specify the holidays you want to talk about and how you want to share them.

Some families take turns each year, while others have the same arrangement every year. If you decide to divide a holiday at noon (for example. B Christmas morning at Dad`s and Christmas Eve at Mom`s), also indicate what time the trade will take place. Regardless of how you choose to share responsibility, Custody X Change allows you to add the terms to your custody contract. Are you planning to raise your child with your ex? Developing a written parenting plan will help you clarify your roles and expectations to avoid petty arguments and focus on what`s best for your children. The following tips will help you plan ahead so that nothing essential is left out of your family`s written parenting plan. It is imperative to include the who-will-what part of all medical expenses out of your own pocket. Also add deadlines for receiving an invoice, as well as proof of payment. Some states, such as Washington, D.C., keep child support information separate from custody arrangements. Check the local rules. The easiest and most reliable way to reach a custody agreement is with Custody X Change. You need to decide how you are going to divide the two types of custody.

You can ask a lawyer to draft a custody contract for you, or you can save money by writing one yourself (individually or with the other parent). If you`re making a deal yourself, let the Custody X Change app guide you every step of the way so you can be sure your document is ready for court. The custody agreement should specify in which insurance the child will be, who will pay for the medical expenses out of pocket and where the child will receive medical care. The agreement should also specify requirements for the provision of insurance cards and information to the other party, instructions for emergency care, and daily and specialized care if the child suffers from a chronic illness. For both types of custody, the parents must agree on sole or joint custody. They can be different for both. For example, one of the parents may have sole custody, but both parents may have joint custody. One thing is for sure, things will inevitably change. What works today may not work after a job change, a new spouse, or any other major life change. Be sure to include provisions to return to the drawing board to revise the agreement in the future if necessary. Understand that if you and your co-parent have decided not to be together, you won`t have your child on every vacation and you may not see them on every birthday.

Having reasonable expectations of starting custody talks is an important step in reaching a compromise to secure a strong custody arrangement for your child. One of the most common questions we receive in our private online community for mothers-in-law is, « We are about to go to court. What do we need to make sure it is included in our custody agreement? If your child wants to sign up for dance, who pays for it? Some parents divide extracurricular activities into percentages that they distribute out of pocket for medical expenses. Be sure to discuss this and include it in the custody agreement. Judges love detailed custody arrangements, as do you and your co-parent. A court is more likely to approve the terms of an agreement that you have invested time and deliberation in creating than an agreement that appears to be reached at the last minute or appears to be a general agreement (i.e., « mutually agreed visit of the parties »). Other. Outside of the state travel daycare schedule, if you work part-time, grandparents` rights if something happens/custody disappears if both parents die Overnight stays of friends/family approved school sick days If you can`t reach an agreement with the other parent, the court will make custody decisions for you.. .