How are "Unique" Parenting Agreement Provisions Addressed?

 Posted on August 09, 2024 in Child Custody

Once the allocation of parental responsibility is addressed during the custody portion of an Illinois divorce, a parenting plan must be created and agreed upon by both parties. While some parenting agreements are very basic, others are much more specific and unique. Your parenting plan can be as simple or complex as you want it to be, so long as it fits your family's needs and the judge finds it to be in the best interests of the child.

Whether the issue concerns discipline, religious upbringing, dietary choices, or participation in sports or high-risk activities, all must be settled and put into a parenting plan. Family law issues are often emotional, so having a highly skilled Wheaton, IL, child custody attorney as your advocate can help determine a mutually acceptable outcome.  

What is a Parenting Plan?

In Illinois, a document detailing who will make decisions for a child and how those decisions will be made is often prepared during the allocation of parental responsibilities. A parenting plan must include where the child will primarily live, the time the child will spend with each parent, how pick-ups and drop-offs will be handled, and how each parent will acquire information and records about the child. Each parent must file a parenting plan within 120 days of asking the court to allocate parental responsibilities.

Aspects of a Parenting Plan That Are Unique to Your Child or Family

A parenting plan can be much more extensive, delving into issues regarding the child that the parents care deeply about. Some of these issues include:

• Discipline—Parents often have different discipline styles, or, in some cases, one parent is the disciplinarian while the other is the "fun" parent. While this might have worked while the couple was together, it is no longer a viable option after a divorce. Discipline must be consistent between the parents, and the parents must maintain a united front. Whether a child will be spanked is a big issue that must be agreed upon.   
• High-risk activities or involvement in sports—One parent may be much more fearful of the child getting hurt than the other, so there must be a consensus regarding whether the child must wear safety gear like a bicycle helmet, at what age they can ride on an ATV or jet ski, whether the child is allowed to ride horses, etc. One parent may not be on board for a child to play football because of the risk of head injuries, while the other may be fine with it.
• Health and diet issues—A child may require a special diet because of an illness or allergy or may have a weight problem. If one parent is not the least bit concerned, believing the child will "grow out of it," but the other sees it as a serious health issue, then the parents must agree on whether the child can eat items at one parent’s home that are prohibited in the other. For a child with life-threatening allergies, the issue is that both parents will always have an epi-pen on hand and will know how to administer the shot.  
• Drug and alcohol issues—These may be as simple as one parent not wanting the child to be exposed to second-hand smoke or to be around alcohol while the other sees no issue. This can be a tough one to work out if one parent regularly smokes and drinks.
• Other relationships—Provisions regarding a parent’s new romantic relationships might need to be a part of the parenting plan. Parents may specify that neither will live with a romantic partner prior to marriage. The plan might state that neither parent is allowed to tell the child to call another person "mom" or "dad."
• Religion—This is another potential "hot button" that must be addressed. Each parent might be religious but have very different beliefs. In other cases, one parent may be fairly neutral about religion, so the other parent’s religion could take precedence.

Contact a DuPage County, IL Parenting Agreement Lawyer

The above issues can be difficult for parents to agree on, and they can change as the child gets older. Parents must be as flexible as possible, keeping their focus on maintaining peace with the other parent whenever possible. Having a Wheaton, IL parenting agreement lawyer helping you through these decisions is invaluable. Your attorney can help you determine which issues you can give in a little on and which ones have no wiggle room at all, then work with your ex to write these into your parenting plan. Contact [[file]] at 630-871-1002 today to schedule your free consultation.