Creating an Effective New Jersey Parenting Plan: Seven Key Components You Need to Know

If you are heading towards a New Jersey marriage dissolution case and you have children, it is important that you understand what is on the horizon in regard to issues like custody and parenting time. In this regard, you are wise to have an essential understanding of what is involved in the creation of an effective New Jersey parenting plan.

In this article, we present seven key components of an effective New Jersey parenting plan:

• Custody and living arrangements
• Communication protocol
• Decision-making authority
• Financial responsibilities
• Education and activities
• Healthcare management
• Special considerations and modifications

Custody and Living Arrangements

At the heart of every New Jersey parenting plan are the custody and parenting time arrangements. This includes such matters as which parent will have primary physical custody of a child, how the parents will deal with legal custody, and the parameters of parenting.

This element of a parenting plan also includes factors to ensure that the primary elements of custody and parenting time are carried out and appropriately maintained. This includes everything from transportation arrangements associated with parenting time to modification procedures should reasonable adjustments need to be made to such things as a parenting time schedule.

Communication Protocol

In many instances, a parenting time agreement or order goes asunder as the result of communication issues or problems between parents. One solid way of at least minimizing the prospects of communication issues or problems going forward is the inclusion of a very specific communication protocol within the confines of a parenting time agreement or order itself. The essential elements of this type of protocol include:

• Methods of communication between parents
• Frequency of updates about child’s activities
• Emergency notification procedures
• Shared calendar system for activities and appointments

Decision-Making Authority

As noted previously, a New Jersey parenting time agreement or order is the foundation upon which child custody and parenting time is built when parents divorce. This includes physical as well as legal custody. Primary points associated with decision-making authority include maters like:

• Temporary alteration of a parenting time schedule
• Legal custody arrangements
• Major decisions (education, healthcare, religion)
• Day-to-day decision-making responsibilities
• Dispute resolution process

Financial Responsibilities

Financial issues and disputes are among the most commonplace issues and problems than can arise in regard to children during and after divorce. A method for reducing the prospect of financial issues and disputes is delineating, with a fairly fine point, financial obligations and responsibilities between the parents. The array of financial responsibilities that should be addressed in a parenting plan include but are not limited to such matters as:

• Child support arrangements
• Division of expenses (medical, educational, extracurricular)
• Insurance coverage
• College savings plans

Education and Activities

A major component of the life of children is their school and extracurricular activities. For this reason, spelling out certain elements associated with these matters in another important issue to be addressed in a parenting plan and include such things like:

• School choice and involvement
• Parent-teacher conferences attendance
• Extracurricular activities coordination
• Homework and academic support responsibilities

Healthcare Management

Part of ensuring that the best interests of children necessitates a sharp focus on health issues, on healthcare management. This necessitates addressing matters like the following things in a comprehensive parenting plan as part of divorce proceedings:

• Medical decision-making process
• Healthcare provider selection
• Medication management
• Emergency medical procedures

Special Considerations and Modifications

Finally, a parenting plan needs to take into account special considerations. This includes issues that are specific to a particular family. It also includes issues that might arise from time to time. A parenting plan needs to have the ability to address things that might come up in the future. It needs to be able to address modifications that might be necessary from time to time. This includes an array of different types of matters that might involve special considerations, including those that might warrant modification of an existing parenting plan:

• Holiday and vacation planning
• Extended family involvement
• Plan review and modification schedule
• Conflict resolution procedures

In the end, a parenting plan outline should be customized based on specific family circumstances and local legal requirements. Consulting with legal professionals is recommended when finalizing any parenting plan. If you have questions concerning creating a parenting plan, call the Law Offices of Peter Van Aulen today at (201) 845-7400 for a free consultation.