In your marriage, you and your spouse have probably worked as a team to support your child’s needs. After a divorce, though, you will face new challenges in your career and your life as a parent. This is especially true if you have a demanding career that involves travel, long hours at the office or time on call.
Supporting your career goals while also taking an active role in your child’s life may be a challenge—is it possible to find a balance?
Consider what your child will need from your parenting arrangement.
Your child’s needs are the primary factor in determining child custody, and you should consider those needs when creating a parenting plan. Some of the details to consider include:
- Where your child will spend holidays and vacations, especially if you may need to work or be on call during those times
- Your child’s needs for school, including who will arrange transportation to school and to extracurricular activities
- The custody or visitation arrangement that will support your child and allow you the parenting time you need to remain active in their life.
You should also consider any sudden changes that may arise because of your child’s needs. If your child needs to be picked up from school or stay home due to a snow day or illness, for example, will you be able to leave the office? If you cannot leave work, you may want to create an alternative plan.
Do what you can to plan ahead for emergencies.
Just as you should plan for potential concerns as a part of your parenting plan, you may also want to work with your employer to address future potential issues. If you create a plan with the unexpected demands of parenting in mind, you may be able to gain additional flexibility in your schedule.
If you wonder how to protect your parental rights and your career, consider speaking to a family law attorney. They can help you build a strategy that supports your child and your ability to provide for them in the future.