Monday, August 8, 2011

Making and Using a Child Custody Calendar

As part of any custody agreement or parenting plan, you should have a custody calendar. A calendar includes complete information about custody and visitation schedules, holidays and vacations, and special events. Making an effective calendar takes time but once it is ready, it will greatly effect your situation in positive way. Without a custody calendar, there may be a lot of confusion and stress. Your calendar contains the complete information about the custody and visitation schedule, the holiday schedule, vacation time, and special events.

To start making your calendar, you must first choose the repeating cycle of custody that best fits your situation. For a repeating cycle, there are standard schedules you can use or you can create your own for a week, two weeks or even monthly. Common custody schedules include joint 50/50 schedules such as 5/2/2/5 or 3/3/4/4 or sole custody schedules that allow for overnight visits, weekend visits or visits during the week for the non-custodial parent.

Grow Calendar 2011

Once you have decided on a regular schedule that works, you can add more features to your calendar. Features such as vacation and holiday schedules and a schedule for one-time and recurring events should be included. A vacation schedule should include school and summer breaks and, if possible, include itineraries for vacation times and places. A holiday schedule should have your desired holidays listed. These holidays may be personal, religious, major or government mandated. For special events such as birthdays, school plays and sports events, a separate schedule should be made.

Having a calendar with such specific information will give you a good idea of how time is divided and if it is fair. After you have used your custody calendar, you can evaluate it and decide if it is effective or if changes need to be made to make your situation work better. You may also want to keep a record of actual time spent with the children and compare it to your calendar.

This calendar is an excellent addition to any parenting plan or custody agreement and should be utilized. You can be a great parent and share parenting responsibilities with your ex-partner. This can be done fairly and effectively with the right documents and in working together.

Making and Using a Child Custody Calendar

Grow Calendar 2011

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