On behalf of The Law Offices of Mary Ann Beaty, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, August 15, 2014.
It’s hard to believe that summer in Dallas is slowly but surely winding down. Soon school will be back in session. Particularly for those more recently divorced parents still adjusting to child custody and visitation schedules, this can be a challenging time. There are, however, a number of common-sense tactics divorced parents can employ to help navigate the transition.
One thing Dallas parents can do is to reach out to their kids’ teachers or perhaps a guidance counselor to let them know about the situation. These professionals will be able to recognize signs that a child may be struggling with a custody arrangement. And to the extent possible, those arrangements should be kept consistent from one week to the next; with different bus schedules, meal times and other factors to try to keep straight, it will help a child get the hang of it if the pattern stays predictable.
Parents should also get up to speed (if they aren’t already) with online scheduling programs and apps to help bridge the communication gap. It’s important that the kids’ events — academic as well as extracurricular — are communicated and that plans are developed to accommodate them. Divorced parents may also avail themselves of budgeting and expense tracking programs to ensure that the kids’ needs at school will be covered as they arise. A shared account with online banking may help in this regard.
While it may be difficult to coordinate a visitation schedule during the school year, both parents must remember that they have committed to this plan. It cannot be simply disregarded thrown out if it becomes inconvenient. Parents who are not receiving their court-approved visitation rights have legal options to enforce them, the same way custodial parents do when enforcing a child custody order.
Of course, many feel it’s in their own interests as well as the best interests of the child to come to an arrangement that truly works for everyone involved. Whether enforcement or modification is the issue, a family law professional can help parents ensure their rights and their interests are given due consideration.
Source: Huffington Post, “5 Back to School Strategies for Divorced or Divorcing Parents,” Cheryl and Joe Dillon, Aug. 11, 2014