Boston Family Law Blog

Child custody orders outline what can and can't happen with the children. These orders tell you what you are responsible for and what you ex must do. For many parents, these agreements are made during a negotiation process that enables each one to have a say in the final decisions. We know that this might seem daunting now because you have to deal with your ex to get this done, but we are here to help you work through these matters.

There are various facets of child custody that must be decided. Think about the decisions you make on a daily basis for your kids. You have choices about their education and their health care. You approve their extracurricular activities and social events. When you have a child custody agreement, all of these aspects might be discussed, so you will need to review the agreement before you make any choices.

People sometimes file civil claims after accidents that cause injuries and other damages. These cases can also involve business matters or family law issues. In all of these instances, you must know what outcome you want and how to present your case. It can be a complex endeavor in some circumstances, but knowing a few points about the civil court system might be beneficial.

One thing to remember in these cases is that your case is independent of any charges that are pending in the criminal justice system. The civil court system and the criminal justice one are separate entities. In the criminal justice system, the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. In the civil court system, the standard is lower, a preponderance of the evidence, to assign liability.

Co-parenting your children in a post-divorce world does not have to be a nightmare. With a comprehensive parenting plan, you proactively address many parental issues. What constitutes a good parenting plan, of course, depends on your situation. If you have children in school, though, you likely want to address both education and extracurricular activities in your agreement. 

Parents regularly focus on custody, visitation, medical care and religious practices when drafting parenting plans. Modern parenting plans, though, are often significantly more robust. If you forget to include educational and extracurricular aspects when writing your agreement, you may be asking for trouble. Here are four subjects you may want to address: 

Children are usually pretty flexible, so you have to remember that when you are trying to set the parenting plan after your divorce. But just because they are flexible doesn't mean that they won't have problems adjusting to the divorce. Your job as their parent is to make sure that they have the support and tools to live their best life now.

When you think about the child custody agreement, make sure that the child has time with both parents. Take the time to let them know that building a relationship with both parents is important. There are only a few situations, such as if a parent is abusive, that this isn't appropriate.