When parents who have minor children divorce, their biggest priority is typically those children’s well-being. However, it can be months, if not longer, between their separation and their divorce decree.
That’s a lot of time to go without an agreement that details how parenting time and parental decision-making responsibilities will be shared. That’s where temporary orders come in.
These can help minimize confusion and conflict for the two of you and provide much-needed stability for your child. When you have some codified rules in the early stages of your divorce, you can help prevent your relationship from further deteriorating, which can only make your divorce more difficult.
Arriving at agreements via negotiation or a judge’s ruling
It’s always best when co-parents can work out a temporary custody agreement on their own and even a temporary parenting plan. If you can’t, you’ll need to ask a judge to make these decisions. Either way, they need to be filed with the court so that they’re enforceable orders.
It’s also wise to work out a temporary child support agreement if one parent needs to provide the other with money. If that’s not necessary, you should at least designate how you’ll divide child-related expenses during this transitional period. This can be a good time to start using a co-parenting app that lets you track these and many other things.
Blueprints for your “permanent” agreements
These temporary agreements serve the added purpose of allowing parents and children to determine what works and what doesn’t before final parenting and support agreements are put into place with the divorce.
These are just a few of the temporary orders you may need as your divorce proceeds. With sound legal guidance from the very beginning, you can help ensure that your rights are protected and that you can effectively work towards obtaining the settlement you need as you move forward with your life.
