The Nocturnal Co-Parent
In today’s economy, beggars can’t afford to be choosers. Your only choice for remaining financially solvent may be to work during hours when school-aged children are asleep. For married couples, life is a dizzying balancing act of sleep deprivation; parents work long days and longer nights to support their children financially. One parent might work a double shift before escorting the children to the bus stop in the morning and then sleep until the children come home from school and the other parent comes home from work, and then do it again. These grueling schedules, especially when the pay is meager, are a source of conflict for many couples, but everyone who has ever worked for a living knows that blaming a parent for working and not spending enough time with the children while simultaneously blaming the same parent for spending time with the children and not working is a low blow. After divorce, though, your ex’s snide comments about your work schedule and your financial situation hurt more. A Boca Raton child custody lawyer can help you think clearly amid the stress of raising children in tough economic times and build a parenting plan that works for you.
You Are Still a Parent, Even If You Work Late Hours During Your Parenting Time
You have the right to spend time with your minor children, full stop. Your ex cannot deprive you of parenting time just because you work the midnight shift. The family courts realize that not everyone has a white picket fence life. Don’t let the Internet fool you into thinking that your ex can take away your parenting time just because you are a bartender in a nightclub. If the court sets your parenting plan, the judge will consider the children’s best interests, but the parenting plan will reflect reality about the parents’ work obligations. Of course, the more likely scenario is that you and your ex, with the help of your lawyers, will agree to a parenting plan during mediation. It is often possible to do this even in high conflict divorce cases, but it may mean communicating with your ex primarily through your lawyer.
This may mean that you must pay for childcare during parenting time. On the nights that you work late during your parenting time, you must pay a babysitter if you don’t have a relative in town who can watch the children until you come home; the court will consider this expense when calculating child support. Your ex cannot object to your children being in the care of your parents, siblings, or new spouse during your parenting time unless your ex has evidence that it is unsafe for your children to be with these caregivers when you are not present.
Contact Schwartz | White About Co-Parenting at Odd Hours
A South Florida family law attorney can help you draft a manageable parenting plan even if one or both parents work nights. Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.
Source:
divorcemag.com/blog/modern-parenting-plans-what-to-include-in-2022
