Parents in Michigan want what is best for their children. However, if those parents have gone through a divorce—or if they have never been married at all—either way, they may need to develop child custody and child support arrangements that are designed to be implemented in the “best interests” of the children. A “parenting plan” is a big part of those arrangements.
Parenting plan basics
So, what is a “parenting plan”? Overall, the plan is a framework for how the parents will make important decisions about how the child will be raised, and it is also designed to provide structure for where and when the child will spend time. In reality, the child custody and support orders from the court, along with a visitation schedule, make up the overall “parenting plan.”
The holiday season we currently find ourselves in is a good time to see parenting plans in action. For example, one parent may have the child on Thanksgiving, while the other will have the child on Christmas—if those are holidays that the family celebrates. In general, splitting up holidays can be a crucial part of a parenting plan. However, the day-to-day basics of how the responsibilities for the child will be handled is part of the parenting plan as well.
There is no question that it can be difficult to work these plans out. Parents, even when they want the best for their children, often simply cannot agree on what that is.
For those who are facing family law issues in Michigan, it is important to get the best information about your own family and financial situation, and how it might be addressed in family law court.