Back to School – Custody

Fall is on its way and the school year has begun. Now is a good time to review your custody agreement to ensure a smooth school year. Your schedule may have changed from the summer and you should make sure you and your children are familiar with the new schedule. If you have shared legal custody, you will need to consult with the other parent regarding any decisions concerning the children’s schools. If you have sole legal custody, you may still be under an obligation to keep the other parent informed and should refer to your custody order to double-check. It is generally a good idea to have a consensus about extracurricular activities for the children as well. If practices and games will occur on the other parent’s custodial time, you will need their cooperation in getting the children to their events.

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Decisions regarding healthcare should also be made with both parent’s involvement in a shared legal custody scenario. Physicals are often needed for participation in sports and both parents should be made aware of any scheduled doctor’s appointments. Ideally, both parents should be able to attend the children’s school events, such as back-to-school night, concerts, games, etc., however, if it there is a lot of discourse between the parents you should plan ahead as to which parent will attend which events to avoid unnecessary confrontation. It is a good idea to give your children’s school a copy of the custody agreement if you anticipate any issues with the other parent, such as trying to pick the child up from school if they are not authorized to do so.

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