Regardless of the child custody arrangement you have with your ex-spouse, it’s natural to have concerns about your ability to get along. And if you’re unable to maintain a cordial relationship, it could impact the health and well-being of your children.
A sound understanding of the most common types of child custody arguments can help protect you against these in the future. Here are five to watch out for:
- Arguments about parenting time: Rather than argue about this, turn to your parenting agreement and visitation schedule for a clear outline of what’s expected of both parents. You both agreed to the terms and conditions during your divorce, so now’s the time to put it to good use.
- Arguments about parenting styles: In a perfect world, you and your ex would have the same parenting style. However, you can’t expect this to be true at all times, as the both of you will have a unique style in regard to how you raise your children. You do your thing, and let your spouse do theirs.
- Arguments about vacations and holidays: The both of you want to take vacations with your children and spend the holidays together, but there is only so much time to go around. If language associated with vacations and holidays aren’t included in your parenting agreement, discuss these events with your ex as far in advance as possible.
- Arguments about getting in the way during visits: For example, if you have visitation rights, you don’t want your ex showing up early or arriving without notice. This takes time away from you and your children.
- Arguments about your personal life: Your personal life, and that of your ex, has nothing to do with co-parenting. Keep this to yourself, and don’t ask your ex for details about their personal life. If this creeps into your co-parenting experience, you can expect it to result in an argument.
Protecting against these common child custody arguments is easier said than done, as your ex may not be as interested as you in keeping the peace.
If your ex is taking steps to cause more harm than good, review your parenting agreement, discuss your concerns with them and consider if you need to take legal action.
