If you and your spouse are going through a divorce and have children, then you’ll need to work together to create a parenting plan that fits around both schedules and allows each of you to spend quality time with your children. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done. Divorce is an emotionally trying process and you and your spouse may not be able to come to a mutual agreement regarding your children without additional help.

As you’ll learn in more detail below, working with an experienced family law attorney is one of the best ways to reduce stress during your divorce and increase your odds of a favorable outcome. At Fairell Roy & Associates , we handle divorce , child custody , child support , and other family law issues. Contact our office if you would like to schedule a consultation to discuss your needs, and read on for a few tips that can help you as you work toward a mutually beneficial parenting plan with your spouse.

Exiting a marriage is one of the most difficult things a person can go through, and it’s easy to get caught up in the emotional turmoil that ensues when thinking about what will happen with your children. It’s important to remember that you won’t always feel this way and, more importantly, that there is likely to be a path forward that meets both you and your spouse’s needs.

If you find yourself experiencing a knee-jerk emotional reaction when your spouse suggests taking the children on a certain holiday or alternating weekends, for instance, take a moment to consider how important having the children on those specific days really is to you. Is it possible that you could be satisfied with their proposed arrangements if you took the time to fully consider them?

In some cases, you and your spouse may be able to amicably discuss arrangements that work best for both of you; in other cases, it might be nearly impossible to come to a shared understanding due to the context of your divorce. No matter what situation you’re in, remember that it’s always in your best interest to remain civil and patient, even if your spouse isn’t. Refrain from badmouthing them on social media and in front of your children, as actions like this could hurt the chances of a favorable outcome.

Read our post, “ Don’t Make These Mistakes During Your Divorce ,” for a few additional things to avoid throughout the process.

As we said above, if you and your spouse can’t come to an agreement on your own, it’s best to get a family law attorney involved. In fact, working with a divorce attorney from the very beginning is one of the best ways to alleviate the stress and emotional hardship that often comes with this difficult decision.

At Fairell Roy & Associates, we believe that contacting a divorce attorney is beneficial not just for the short-term goal of coming to an agreement regarding your parenting plan, but for coming to an agreement about long-term plans as well.

You and your spouse will need to communicate and share custody of your children for years to come, and it’s much less stressful to start that process off on mutual agreement than it is to battle your way through it. Moreover, if and when the plan needs to be adjusted due to changing life circumstances, you will have an attorney who already knows you, your family, and the context of your divorce working on your behalf.

While this isn’t technically a tip for resolving parenting disputes, it can certainly help you avoid them from coming up in the first place.

Regardless of how satisfied or unsatisfied you are with the parenting plan that’s ultimately put into place, it’s important that you do everything in your power to honor it and fulfill your obligations. No matter how frustrated you are with your spouse or the circumstances you’re in, failing to uphold your end of the plan is likely to hurt you much more than it helps.

If your spouse is failing to fulfill their obligations, you should immediately bring it to the attention of your family law attorney instead of taking matters into your own hands. They will be able to provide you with clear guidance about what to do and, if necessary, prepare evidence and schedule a court date to have your situation reviewed before a judge.

At Fairell Roy & Associates , we understand that no two situations are alike, but we hope that this discussion will help you as you work toward a parenting plan that benefits you and, more importantly, your children.

If you have any questions about this post or would like to learn more about child custody , divorce , child support , or any other family law topics, we recommend following us on Facebook and tuning into our weekly live Q&A sessions. We regularly answer both private direct messages and questions asked in our chat, so please stop by and join us if you would like to learn more.

For more direct parenting plan assistance, please contact our office to schedule a virtual consultation. We are currently taking new clients and have helped countless families navigate the challenges of developing parenting plans during COVID-19.

Read the following posts for additional tips and resources: