In Australia, parents who split have to make decisions relating to the welfare of their children, and this is often done with the support of family lawyers. This might include creating a parenting plan which is a mutual arrangement that parents agree upon to determine how they can best care for and nurture their children, even though they are no longer married, or living together
You can provide any detail that you’d like in your parenting plan, however, if you are unsure what you should be adding, you should consult a family lawyer. A family lawyer will help you better understand your legal rights and duties and clarify how the law is applicable in your matter.
Typically, the parental plans always have at least a few of the following details:
- Which parent the child is going to live with
- A schedule indicating days and times for visitation for the absent parent
- How and when the parents will communicate with the child
- How parents divide parenting responsibilities and make choices about the child
- Financial structures for children
- Who the child can stay in contact with while the child is with each parent
A parental order may also include guidelines and rules that prevent a parent from taking a particular course of action or behaving in certain ways. This might be a rule stating that ridiculing or insulting the other parent while speaking to the child is not acceptable. Another example might be that a parent must not visit the other parent’s residence without a request or invite.
The Family Law Act offers guidelines on the areas that the parenting order can address. Live with orders which state who the child primarily lives with. Orders can relate to how much time the child can spend with each parent. It can also include others such as the child’s grandparents. Read More