713-333-4430Why Custody Agreements Need to Be Specific
You and your spouse recently decided to split up. Even though you aren’t worried about the terms of the divorce, you do want to make sure that your child custody agreement is as fair as possible. You want what’s best for your child, which includes spending time with you. No matter what, your custody agreement needs to be specific in order for that to happen.
Boudreaux Hunter & Associates, LLC in Houston, Texas are certified in mediation, take a collaborative approach with their clients to ensure that their clients reach solutions that work for their families, and are devoted entirely to the practice of family law. We are fierce advocates for our clients and we’d be delighted to help you with child custody, whether you need to establish or update it. Reach out to us today for an initial consultation.
Why Make the Child Custody Agreement Specific?
When you’re attempting to establish custody of your children for the first time or make changes to an existing agreement, you need to ensure the is as specific as possible.
The more specific you are right now, the more problems you will avoid later. Along with covering who will get custody and when on a general basis, the agreement must also take into account the smallest details regarding the child’s care. If one area is not covered, then you and your ex-spouse could get into arguments and wind up back in court. The cops could become involved if it looks like you took your children without your ex-spouse’s permission.
With the help of a child custody lawyer, you can make sure that you cover every possible situation that could arise by creating a specific custody agreement or updating your current one. Then, you will not be as vulnerable to mistakes and your children will be in the best situation possible.
What to Include in the Child Custody Agreement
Your child custody agreement should cover a number of different areas, including the following.
Custody: Who has the right to establish the residence of the child? Does one parent have sole conservatorship or is there joint conservatorship?
Schedule: What is the visitation schedule for the children? Do they see one parent three days a week and the other parent four days a week? Do they see one parent during the weekdays and one on the weekends? Who will take them to soccer games, play rehearsal, their friends’ parties, and other events?
Holidays: Who gets the children during the holidays? Do the parents rotate every year or switch off for different holidays?
Vacations: Who gets to take the children on vacations during summer and winter break? Will parents check in with each other prior to booking and going on any trips?
Birthdays: Who gets the children on their birthdays? Do parents rotate depending on the year or switch off on the birthdays themselves?
Children’s health: Who is going to pay for the children’s medical and dental insurance? Who will take them to their appointments?
Schooling: Where are the parents sending their children to school? Will they go to a public or private school? Do they have a college fund set up that they will both contribute to?
Religion: Will the children be involved in religion? If so, what does that religious practice look like in each household?
Possible disputes: How will parents handle them?
Changes to the child’s appearance: Is one parent allowed to decide to pierce a child’s ears or get them a dramatic haircut without permission from the other parent?
Screen time: Does one parent want to limit screen time? How often can a child look at screens during the week?
There could be other factors that come up depending on the specific circumstances in your family. You shouldn’t hesitant to bring up any issue, even if it seems like it’s over the top. You want what is best for your children and your family; asserting yourself is critical at this time.
Updating Child Custody Agreements
You can update a child custody agreement at any time. All you have to do is get in touch with your family lawyer to make any changes. Keep in mind that you should still follow your agreement until the court has officially changed it. Otherwise, you could hurt your case.
The only time you should take drastic measures to protect your children is if they are in a dangerous or abusive situation. Still, if this happens, you need to contact law enforcement and your lawyer to immediately address the issues.
Otherwise, problems can arise even between exes with good relationships. Whatever happens, you need to stay calm and avoid speaking harshly to your ex or about your ex in front of your children. Never send threatening or angry text messages or emails. Always communicate respectfully and let your lawyer and the courts work out any issues that come up. You want to show the court that you’re a responsible and loving parent, as well as a cooperate co-parent. That will help your case and give you a much better chance of getting what you want.
The courts just want to make sure that the transition to having divorced parents is as smooth as possible, so you need to try hard to put your children’s needs first at this time.
Get in Touch With Boudreaux Hunter & Associates, LLC
When you’re hoping to get child custody or update custody orders, you can reach out to Boudreaux Hunter & Associates, LLC for help. We’ll work hard on your child custody concerns and be your source of support in your time of need. Make sure you get in touch online or by calling us at (713) 333-4430. We look forward to hearing from you.
Shannon L. Boudreaux is a passionate advocate for her clients, working on their behalf to help them reshape their lives, their families, and their futures. For two decades, she has helped reunite parents with their children and helped clients negotiate contentious custody disputes. Learn more here.
