Lexington Family Law

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Developmental parent-child time sharing agreements

Nearly all the time-sharing (visitation) agreements entered into divorce decrees are static. No matter how old the child is, that same agreement remains in place unless there are motions to modify that can be quite costly.

While it may take more time while the divorce is occurring, developing a time-share agreement that adjusts as the child gets older can avoid many future legal fees. Children at different ages have differing needs. An infant or toddler’s life and needs are tremendously different from a teenager. The time-share agreement should anticipate those differences.

To provide an example, an infant needs more frequent contact to bond with each parent than an older child does. Also, shifting where the infant sleeps and their bedtime routine every week or two would be disruptive to get the child into a regular sleep cycle. So, multiple visits each week might be best. For the teen, though, the concern is less about bonding and more about them developing appropriate peer relationships. Therefore, frequent visits would be less desirable, but having longer visits, such as extended weekends, would be more desirable.

Ask your attorney about a developmental time-share agreement.

March 9, 2007 - Posted by G A Napier | Family Law | | No Comments

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