Child Custody: Back To School Schedules

Whether it’s your first year navigating child custody or the sixteenth year of coparenting coordination, there’s usually some point of contention between the parents. School districts, quality of education, after school activities, transportation, and allotted time for homework completion can be sources of conflict for ex partners. 

The most common example would be the parent who enforces homework compared to the other parent who does not. While homework typically isn’t enough to bring the coparents to court, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” meaning a lack of homework enforcement could signal other bigger issues within the home. 

Custody Questions For Parents Navigating The Academic Year

From kindergarten to graduation, approximately the next 18 years of life will involve speaking to your child’s other parent. It’s not easy, but your child navigates a life split between two homes, so they deserve to feel comfortable and secure around their both parents. 

The decisions you make now will greatly affect your child’s future, so it’s important to consider these questions with care: 

#1: Which School District Will Your Child Attend? 

Plans change and people move. While coparents may live in the same area, many of them do not. At some point during the course of your child’s education, you may need to choose between two school districts. You’ll want a strong, compelling argument for the district of your choice, as this decision will greatly impact your child’s academic career. 

#2: Who Is Providing Transportation? 

The school district and coparents all need to be on the same page regarding transportation needs. If your child takes the bus most days, but is picked up by a coparent on designated weekdays, the school will need a copy of the pick-up schedule and the vehicle information. 

This avoids any miscommunication between all parties and ensures that your child is not handed off to an unapproved individual. Who should be on the list of approved individuals? That’s an entirely separate discussion between the two coparents. 

#3:Will Your Child Participate In After-School Activities?

After-school programs are excellent ways for children to socialize within their community, however, it can be very difficult for coparents. The cost for participation can reach over $1,000 per year for some activities, especially if traveling teams are involved.

Outside of supporting the cost, coparents have to agree on the schedule. If one parent only sees their child on the weekends and the sports team only plays on the weekends, it’s not quite fair for the weekday parent to register the child without discussing with the other. 

What Happens When Co-Parents Can’t Agree 

When both parties cannot agree to a resolution together, they may go through family mediation. Here, a non-biased third party discusses the circumstances and helps the co-parents make a decision in the best interest of their child. 

In Arkansas, judges have been increasingly issuing mandatory mediation for parents. If that happens, you and your attorney will be contacted to set up the mediation. If you don’t have legal aid at this point, you should begin searching for a local lawyer to take on your case. 

Achieve Happiness and Harmony With Hickey & Hull

The dog days of summer have arrived and the back-to-school season is rapidly approaching. If you haven’t nailed down your child’s school schedule yet, it’s time to start solidifying the plans with your fellow coparent.

But if things aren’t all sunshine and rainbows between you and your ex, coordinating can feel like a nightmare. Let the professionals at Hickey & Hull handle the complex legal stuff while you focus on creating a better future for your child.