Co-Parenting – What Parents Should Know About Raising Their Children Together, After a Divorce or Separation

As part of their “Blended Family Friday “series, the Huffington Post ran the following article about two divorced parents and how they “co-parent” their child.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/05/advice-for-blended-families-_n_7515012.html?utm_hp_ref=divorce&ir=Divorce

The article highlights just how important it is for parents to work together to raise their children, even after they are separated. Divorced or separated parents are often so angry at the other parent, that they cannot see past their issues with each other to really work together to figure out what is best for their children. When parents cannot agree on issues such as schooling, visitation schedule changes and even day-to-day parenting issues, they are left with little choice but to turn to their attorneys, requesting discussions with opposing counsel and/or the court’s intervention. This results in both parties incurring significant and often unnecessary, attorney fees and costs, and causes stress not only for the parents, but for the children as well. Ultimately, it results in a judge making a decision about children he or she has never met. Clearly, a child’s parents are better suited to be making such decisions.

The bottom line is that parenting separately doesn’t have to be a battle of wills. If parents can learn to communicate effectively regarding their children and work together to make decisions for the children, the children are the ones who will ultimately benefit.

At Argyris Mah, LLP, our knowledgeable and experienced attorneys can help guide you through the custody and visitation process. Please contact our office at 408-214-6366 for a free initial consultation.