Even the most drama free divorces can turn ugly at any point in time. While this is a problem for couples without children, when children are involved it can be even more complicated.
Any couple that is or has gone through a divorce with children knows they need a parenting plan. One of the major reasons for this necessity is that it puts into writing an agreement between both parents and the court about what is best for the all of the children involved.
Child custody software can make the process easier and more clear both at the beginning and as your co-parenting experience moves forward.
3 Reasons to Consider Using Parenting Plan Software
You can certainly live without using parenting plan software, but after you consider these reasons on why you should use it, you’ll understand why so many co-parents do.
Easily Create a Customized Plan
Creating a parenting plan and custody schedule is a complicated procedure. Starting from scratch is a recipe for disaster. And, going to a lawyer without at least a basic outline is going to make for an expensive consultation.
By starting with a template, you know you’ll have all the basics covered. Then, you can add in any provisions you feel are important and edit them as you negotiate with your soon-to-be ex-spouse.
And best of all, you can do this before you meet with an attorney, so you won’t have to pay for hours of unnecessary legal billing.
Make Adjustments on the Go
Part of your parenting plan is the custody calendar. You’ll need to have one before anything final is agreed upon.
A big problem with custody calendars though is that they are firm and don’t take life’s unplanned happenings into consideration. Sometimes you need to swap a weekend or have to travel for work.
Using software to manage your custody calendar means that you can make agreed upon edits quickly and easily. It will even do all of the math as far as time share percentages for you.
Keep Everything Organized
One of the most overlooked reasons for why you want to consider using software to create and maintain your parenting plan is that it allows you to keep everything in one place. You can keep your custody calendar along with all its edits coupled with the original parenting plan.
Aside from that you can keep a co-parenting journal. While it’s perfectly acceptable to keep a folder full of print outs of email and text messages you share with your ex along with receipts and anything else you feel is important, over time that can get cluttered and messy.
Having a digital backup of all of that in one place keeps everything tidy. Plus, it makes it easy to organize all of it.
In Summary
The benefits of using software to help with your parenting plan are plentiful. From saving money in legal fees to keeping things organized as your co-parenting life moves forward, software does both and more.
If you have children and you’re about to or currently going through a divorce, do yourself a favour and use parenting plan and custody calendar software.
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Written for fairdivorce.co.za by Tim Backes of Custody X Change
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Posted by Sinta Ebersohn (Creator of fairdivorce.co.za – Stellenbosch RSA)