Going through a divorce can be one of the most difficult times of your life. It can be even worse if you have a school-aged child caught in the middle of your divorce.

School-aged children can be affected by a divorce because they are more aware than younger children. To make things easier for your child, it’s important to follow a parenting plan while your divorce is pending.

Preparing a Parenting Plan

The first thing you and your spouse should do after filing for divorce is establish a set of parenting principles to abide by.

You don’t want your child to be affected by any disagreements you have with each other. Lay out a set of ground rules for what each of you consider to be acceptable behavior in the presence of your child. Make an agreement that you will notify your spouse of any changes to your phone number, work information, or home address so he or she always knows how to contact you and your child in case of an emergency.

Both parents need to make sure that the home the child is staying at is equipped with all the necessities. Extra sets of clothes, favorite toys, books, and child care supplies should be readily available wherever the child stays

Create a Custody/Visitation Schedule

One of the biggest changes your child will experience after the divorce is having to transition back and forth between you and your ex. Depending upon the terms of your divorce, it’s important to plan out a schedule on how you and your ex handle custody and visitation of your child.

By creating a schedule weeks or months in advance that outlines who your child is staying with and when, there will be no confusion and your child can used to this schedule. Children can experience short- and long-term problems with disorganized behavior and less predictability in their lives. Divorce can be a great source of confusion, so it is crucial that you establish a sense of order for your child.

A custody or visitation schedule will allow you and your ex to work out where meetings and exchanges will happen. A schedule should also include how the child will spend their holidays and summer vacations.

Don’t Let the Divorce Affect Your Child’s Education

School is an important aspect of your child’s life, so you and your ex will likely want to keep updated on your child’s life at school. Allow the school to contact both parents regarding your child. This way, it isn’t one parent’s responsibility or the child’s to inform the other parent. Both parents should also have access to school and medical records.

Agree upon which school events you wish to attend alone or that you can attend at the same time as your ex.

Be Cooperative

More than anything, it is important that you and your ex cooperate in the upbringing of your school-aged child. It’s important for the child to see both parents at school events or extracurricular activities.

Contact the Family Law Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich

Are you worried about the effects your divorce may have on your school-aged children? Then you need the guidance of an experienced attorney to help you through this difficult time. At Wallin & Klarich, our family law attorneys have helped families dealing with these complex legal matters for more than 35 years. Let us help you now.

With offices in Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, West Covina, Torrance and Victorville, you can find a dedicated Wallin & Klarich attorney available nearby no matter where you work or live.

Call us at (888) 749-7428 for a free phone consultation. We will be there when you call.