Parents usually distribute child responsibilities after they get divorced, but recently, the concept of parallel parenting has seen a rise in importance from parents who look for the holistic development of their children. Parallel parenting involves having limited contact with ex-spouse but coming together to make the most crucial and important life decisions for your child. It helps reduce friction between parents and keep children away from any animosity and negative arguments that can hurt their well-being.
Under the Illinois Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, both parents need to share a parenting plan to seek a joint or shared custody. The parenting plan outlines the responsibilities of both parents and how the upbringing of their child will take place.
Parallel parenting plans need to be highly detailed and require extensive work before they are presented for approvals. This complexity can be managed by seeking advice from experienced family and divorce lawyers, who help negotiate a balanced parenting plan in the best interest of the child, especially when the divorced couple wishes to have minimal communication after their divorce.
A parallel parenting plan includes all scheduled holidays, all defined shared parental responsibilities and how future communication after an agreement will take place. It can help the emotional wellbeing of a child and provide them with a better future. Below are some obvious benefits of parallel parenting.
Protects Child’s Relationship with Both Parents
After a divorce, parallel parenting can be used to shield children from in-house arguments and potential conflict that can be harmful to a child’s upbringing. In turn, it can also be used to ensure children continue to see the importance of both parents in their lives, leading to less hostility and greater security.
Reduces Friction after Divorce
Almost all communication between the divorced couple is done through email or formal communication, leading to reduced friction and fights. Each parent gets the chance to control what their children can do and cannot do. Both parents can negotiate on how to spend special events and activities – either combined or individually. Rules are always negotiated in advance to ensure children receive the best treatment and there are rational and fair outcomes. A parallel parenting coordinator or experienced family lawyer can help set rules.
If you want to find out more about this subject or wish to schedule a free consultation session with an experienced family, and real estate planning lawyer, we suggest you contact Fitzgerald Law Firm by calling at (630) 946-6060.