When children are involved in a relationship, things are no longer that easy. Whether you are going through a divorce and transitioning to the next step in your life or are navigating co-parenting with a former partner you were never married to, supporting children requires a careful approach to custody and parenting.
The child custody attorneys at Lutz & Associates, P.S., want to help you reach your parenting goals and keep your children’s lives as stress-free as possible. We have nearly thirty years of experience in helping clients and their families through the divorce process and other family law matters, and through consistent communication, compassionate understanding, and experience-backed skills, we could guide you through the process with confidence.
Helping You Understand the Basics of Parenting Plans
A parenting plan, also known as a visitation order or custody agreement, is the blueprint for how you and your ex-partner will divide your children’s time. Kent parents should understand a few things about parenting plans before they sit down to create one.
First, a judge does not consider what is most convenient or cost-effective for you. Judges make their custody decisions in the best interest of the child based on the unique circumstances of each family. Second, custody and child support are not always 50/50. Both parents must contribute equally to the child’s care, but a higher-earning parent may still pay support, even with equal parenting time.
What Best-Interest Factors Do Courts Consider?
When you sit down to create a parenting plan with your Kent attorney, you should keep a few things in mind. A judge will approve your plan as long as it stays within the state guidelines, under the Revised Code of Washington § 26.27. Things to keep in mind include:
- The child’s relationship with each parent
- Each parent’s home relative to the child’s school, friends, and regular activities
- Each parent’s relationship with the other and ability to interact amicably during transfers
- Each parent’s ability to encourage a positive relationship between their children and their co-parent
You and your co-parent may agree on a parenting plan that lets you travel with your child, but a judge may not agree to it. If there is a disagreement, a court’s judgment matters more. Your attorney can explain how parenting plans may be modified later if your situation changes or if your child wants a different arrangement when they are older and have other needs.
Do not make changes to your parenting plan between yourselves once you leave court. A parenting plan is an official court order, like a divorce decree, and you are bound by it. If your child wants to go to a magnet school or take a year off to go to France, and that is not part of your agreement, it could be changed, but not without court approval.
Get Help Creating a Parenting Plan in Kent From Our Knowledgeable Attorneys
The attorneys at Lutz & Associates have almost 30 years of experience in helping our clients draft effective parenting plans that the judges approve in court. When you visit our offices, we will take the time to sit down with you, listen to your situation, and go over your family’s goals so we understand what everyone needs and expects from your custody and visitation agreement. Every custody case is different, some including divorce and others domestic partnerships. We want to help you make the agreement that best reflects the needs of you and your child. Please reach out to us today by calling (206) 672-9291 or filling out our online contact form to get started.
