Do you have a conflict resolution plan with your co-parent?

 Posted on March 03, 2022 in Child Custody

Parenting plans can be basic and streamlined, or they can be very detailed and thorough. The relationship you currently have with your co-parent will have a strong influence on the way that you structure your parenting plan. You may include many rules, or you may leave things broad to allow for interpretation as circumstances change.

Whether the two of you get along well or you struggle to communicate calmly, you will eventually have a serious disagreement about your parental responsibilities or what is best for the children. Adding a conflict resolution system to your parenting plan can help you prevent such circumstances from derailing your custody arrangement.

How do you plan for future conflict?

Given that conflict is all but inevitable when sharing parental responsibilities, it's good to have a plan in place to reolve the dispute quickly and amicably. You can use what you know about each other to preserve your relationship.

The two of you are already be familiar with each other's communication styles and priorities. You may be able to reasonably predict when a conflict might arrive or how it will unfold. You could put rules in place to help you address disagreements quickly.

For example, you could agree to have a conversation with a specific neutral party, like a co-parenting therapist. You might agree to only communicate in writing via a parenting app when you disagree so that both of you are more likely to stay calm. By addressing these issues before the two of you have a serious disagreement, you set yourselves up for a more peaceful and functional co-parenting arrangement.