Westport Parenting Plan Lawyer

In any proceeding involving a dispute with respect to the custody, care, education, and upbringing of a child, the parties will need to form a parenting plan that works in their children’s best interests. The parenting plan lays out the details of the custody agreement and offers guidance for future decisions and potential issues. This document will have a large impact on family relations in the future and should be drafted with the utmost care and attention to each unique situation.

If you need help determining exactly how you and your ex-spouse will raise your children, our child custody attorneys will be valuable allies. Our trustworthy Westport parenting plan lawyers can help you draft a contract that will work for your family’s unique circumstances.

Laws Governing Parenting Plans in Westport

Connecticut statutes govern parenting plans in Westport. Connecticut General Statutes §§46b-56 sets forth a framework for custody issues and parenting agreements and focuses on the best interest of the children. The statute provides that a parenting plan should provide the children with active and consistent involvement of both parents commensurate with their abilities and interests.

Parenting plans address both legal and physical custody of the children. Legal custody involves decision-making for child-related issues, including education, religion, health care, and upbringing. Physical custody involves each parents’ access to the child. Depending on the circumstances and the needs of the child, the child may spend a majority of time with one parent or may have the time split equally between parents. In joint custody arrangements, parents share both legal and physical custody of the children.

Connecticut law presumes that joint custody is best for children. However, the court will take into account any factors that could be detrimental to the children, such as parental abuse, neglect, or addiction, and make their decision accordingly. In these cases, our knowledgeable parenting plan attorneys in Westport can formulate strong legal arguments that joint custody would not be in the children’s best interests.

Factors Courts Consider in Parenting Plans

In addition to custody determinations, parenting plans cover issues such as third-party visitation, schools, holidays, health care, and religion. They also include provisions to address future parenting decisions, how disputes will be resolved, and how the plan will evolve as the children grow. Connecticut courts consider the best interests of the child, and in doing so may consider many relevant factors, including:

The needs of the children and whether the parents are able to meet those needs
Information obtained from the child, including the informed preferences of the child;
The wishes of the child’s parents;
The child(ren)’s relationship with each other and their relationships with other people who may be significant in the children’s lives
The parents’ willingness to cooperate with each other
Any coercion by a parent to involve the child in the parents’ dispute;
The mental and physical health of all individuals involved;
The parents’ abilities to be actively involved in child(ren)’s lives
The children’s environment, and the importance of maintaining stability
The child’s cultural background;
If any domestic violence or abuse has occurred;

Judges consider the factors as a whole, then articulate the rationale for their conclusions. Our Westport attorneys have extensive experience drafting parenting plans and can clarify the relationship of these factors to each individual case.

Reach Out to a Westport Parenting Plan Attorney for Help

The end of a marriage can present challenges for everyone involved, especially when it comes to determining custody arrangements and financial issues. Our dedicated Westport parenting plan lawyers can help you to create a parenting plan that works for you and your children and guide you through the legal processes that follow. Contact our attorneys to discuss your parenting plan questions and concerns today.