Parenting

Parenting time (access) and parental decision-making (custody), are new terms introduced to by legislation. The terminology focuses on the parents' responsibilities for the child. Will the parents make decisions together or will one parent have final decision-making authority? When will the child reside with each parent? What will each parent's parenting time look like?. It is often in the best interests of the parents and the child to have a schedule in place to provide the child with routine and predictability.

Parenting agreements (or parenting plans) set out a residential schedule for the child and provide parents with agreed upon procedures for how decisions will be made. Any issues dealing with the child can be addressed in a parenting agreement and agreements can be tailored to each family.

The benefits of negotiating a parenting agreement are that it provides each parent and the child with a sense of certainty and predictability, can reduce potential future disagreement between the parents and takes into account the unique needs and circumstances of each family.

The lawyers at Simpson Taseer can assist in negotiating and drafting a parenting agreement that best suits your family, with the child's best interest in mind.