In the event of a divorce or separation, child maintenance is not the only aspect ex-spouses need to focus on. Having a comprehensive parenting plan can be beneficial in paving a more cordial relationship in the future and avoiding conflicts. Blake Attorneys explains more.
Top pitfalls to avoid
Blake Attorneys believes five main pitfalls must be avoided in the parenting plan:
- Parenting schedule: No matter how cordial the relationship between the exes, the parenting plan must spell out strict parenting schedules without any ambiguity. There can be a provision for last-minute changes, but both parents must adhere to the schedule to avoid conflicts in the future.
- Moving residence: The parenting plan should outline what happens in the event of the parent with primary residence moving or immigrating. This is a highly contested issue in courts across South Africa and should be included in the plan to avoid legal issues.
- Medical care: The parenting plan must outline the current and future medical provisions, and how both parents handle the finances involved.
- Disputes: Even exes with the best relationships and mutual respect have conflicts regarding the children. The parenting plan must, therefore, include a provision on how disputes will be handled and agreements reached.
- Education: The parenting plan must cover the current and future educational provisions and choices of the child(ren) and how the parents will cover the costs.
Overlooked provisions to include in your parenting plan
There are an endless number of items one could specify and of course one cannot anticipate everything, but it is useful to consider some of these. Blake Attorneys suggests provisions that could be helpful:
- Badmouthing the other parent should be specifically outlawed.
- Both parents should agree that when they introduce a new romantic partner it should be after an agreed period of dating (at least 3 months and usually 6 months) so that the child is not exposed to too many new partners of the parents;
- Holiday arrangements should be clearly spelled out in as much detail as possible;
- The parents should specify who is allowed to fetch the children from school and how much notice should be given to change contact times.
- Time with relatives should be specified as time with the parent concerned so that time with grandma is not allowed to encroach on time with the parent.
For more information on child maintenance and parenting plans in South Africa, contact Blake Attorneys today!