parenting plans

When Co-Parenting Doesn’t Work

March 1, 2023 | Kearns Rotolo Law

It’s no secret that children do best when both parents are involved in their lives. This holds true for children of divorce, too, and it’s the reason many divorced parents choose to co-parent as part of their custody arrangement.

Co-parenting allows parents to continue working together to raise their children even after their marriage ends. But it requires cooperation and the ability to put up a united front in matters pertaining to the children. This isn’t something all parents can do, especially if they have a tumultuous relationship and have just gone through a contentious divorce. When co-parenting continues to expose children to tension between their parents, it could have a harmful rather than healing effect.

So, what are parents to do when they want to remain active in their children’s lives but simply cannot work with their ex? Consider the alternatives, one of which is parallel parenting. To learn more about this parenting arrangement, read “What Is Parallel Parenting?”

These ‘Rules’ Might Help You Get Through Your Divorce

July 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

People rarely think clearly or make their best decisions when emotionally upset and divorce ranks right up there as second on the list of life’s most stressful events. It’s no wonder because not only are you legally dissolving your marriage, but you also are experiencing an emotional separation from a way of life you’ve become used to. Sometimes that necessitates moving to a different house or neighborhood; cutting ties with extended family and friends or, at least, adjusting to the changing dynamics of those relationships; and learning to make decisions on your own where before you had a partner to help you weigh the options. All of this makes breaking up hard to do, as the song goes.

As hard as it may be, sometimes breaking up is inevitable. When it becomes obvious that divorce is the best – and quite possibly, the only – solution to marital problems, there are steps you can take to make the process a little easier so that you come out healthier on the other end. To learn more, read “6 Rules of Engagement for Your Divorce.”

Developing an Effective Parenting Plan

July 1, 2019 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Raising kids can be a tough job and most couples are thankful they have each other to lean on especially when the more complex issues of child-rearing come up. What happens, though, when those couples split? Divorce throws parenting into a whole new context. Couples who once willingly cooperated for the sake of the family are now fighting to protect their own interests. A well-thought out parenting plan helps couples remain effective parents through this adverse time.

Parenting plans are court-approved agreements negotiated by divorcing spouses and their attorneys, and they involve much more than just which parent has primary physical custody of the children. Your parenting plan needs to address the challenges of your family now living in two homes instead of one, and should cover everything from who the primary decision maker is to how future disputes will be resolved. “Everything Divorced Couples Need to Know About Parenting Plans” outlines the elements that are essential to an effective parenting plan.