Beth Myers
A parallel parenting plan is a parenting model that is adopted by parents who have a hard time getting along but still both want to be involved in raising their kids. This method allows them to have control over their own parenting responsibilities without needing the consent of the other parent.
It’s that there is no contact or communication in this type of parenting but it’s very limited. Parents usually only communicate when there is an absolute need to.
Creating a parallel parenting plan typically requires the assistance of divorce or child custody lawyers as part of the divorce. Parallel parenting can be ordered by the court but it can also be simply a suggestion or a child custody judgement if it’s clear that it’s impossible for the parents to handle a traditional co-parenting situation.
Specifics are critical when establishing a parallel parenting plan. The more specific the parallel parenting plan is, the higher chance it has of success. These specifics include, but are not limited to:
- Time and location for custodial exchanges (when their child goes from one parent to the other)
- How decisions regarding the child’s schooling, extracurricular activities and other situations relevant to the child are made
- Communication rules
- Time allotted for each parent to spend with their child
- Schedules for holidays and vacations and how to resolve any conflicting schedules
- Cancellation and parenting time rescheduling rules
