There’s no question that divorce is a process that requires heavy involvement from both you and your ex-spouse. While you may want to get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible, it’s important not to skip steps. By the time you and your spouse reach an agreement on issues like property division and spousal support, you’ve already resolved many important issues.
Another important issue that you should resolve is a custody agreement for your children. The absence of a custody agreement can lead to problems in the future, even between the most amicable of people. Here are a few reasons why you should take the time to draft a custody agreement:
- Encourages fairness. A custody agreement not only ensures fairness to you and your co-parent, but your child as well. Unless there are concerns over one parent’s ability to provide a safe home environment for the child, North Carolina law feels that the child has the right to spend time with both parents.
- Reduces conflict. What happens if you want to take your child on vacation or have them spend a special occasion with you? Having your child for an extended amount of time could lead to tension with your co-parent. A custody agreement allows you to negotiate how many vacation days each parent receives with the child and which special occasions the child gets to spend with you.
- Allows for better planning. A custody agreement simplifies your life by allowing you to make plans around your parenting time. If you have a custody agreement, each parent will know when they pick up and drop off their child and what days they have custody of their child. Having a custody agreement allows both of you to plan your life around your parenting time.
Custody agreements benefit both parents and the child
Since you’ve already come this far in the divorce process, why not take the extra time to draft a custody agreement? Having a custody agreement allows for more fairness, less conflict, and for greater ease of planning. Don’t just say that you’ll “figure it out” when it comes to custody of your child. You’ll be glad you took the time to work out a custody agreement.