3 Tips about  Co-Parenting and Standard Possession

Have you heard about co-parenting and wondering if it can work for you and your ex?  Are you thinking you are stuck with the Standard Possession schedule because it is in your divorce decree?  Co-parenting and Standard Possesion can work together even when you didn’t include a schedule tailored for co-parenting.

You Can Agree

Many, many people have divorce decrees that include the Standard Possession and feel stuck in a rut that isn’t working for them, their ex-spouse or their children, and sometimes it isn’t working for any of them.  In Denton County, it isn’t unusual to have a parent who travels for business and a child or children who are involved in extracurriculars that are demanding schedules.  So, what is the option?

I often talk with parents who feel like they are at their wits end for one or more of those exact reasons and I remind them that they can talk with their ex and see if they can work it out.   The Texas Family Code includes a paragraph at the beginning of the Standard Possession schedule that says that if the parents can agree to a possession schedule that agreement can be the possession schedule.  Then, if you can’t agree to a schedule the works for co-parenting, the Standard Possession is there for you to follow.

 Co-Parenting and Communication

Find a way to communicate to make the Standard Possession work for you.  If sending texts and emails creates misunderstandings, try talking on the phone.  If talking on the phone takes you and your ex right back to the communication issues from your marriage, try to text or email.  And, there are apps (www.2houses.com) and websites that allow you to post information about your kids’ schedules, email the other parent, health information.  Some of these have additional options to make it easy for you.  For example, Our Family Wizard has a website and also an app.

You can Co-Parent through the Holidays with Standard Possession

The major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are all contained in the Standard Possession.  Those are a baseline to work with – the fall back if you don’t have another agreeement, maybe you aren’t speaking to each other or maybe it’s that the Standard Possession schedule is working for you.  You don’t have to come up with everything on your own.  Read the Standard Possession – again, at least a month or two after your divorce – to refresh your understanding and memory.  Then, talk with the other parent if something comes up and see if you can work something out.  Even if you can’t agree to change something, there is no harm in asking.

Jill O’Connell is available for consultation by appointment only, 940-497-5454.  Call today to talk about your co-parenting and standard possession questions.