As a parent, it's your job to make sure your child always comes first. When it comes to a divorce, that may mean working together with your spouse to create a parenting plan. Despite how you feel about one another, it's important to create a parenting plan that benefits your child, not your own interests. For example, even if you think your spouse is awful for the way he or she treated you, you should separate those feelings and do what you believe is best for your child, whether that's working out a 50-50 custody arrangement or fighting for sole custody.
Even if you and your spouse can't get along, if you can work together for the best interests of your children, there's hope that you can do so without having to turn to a judge to have him or her decide for you. It's a good idea to talk to a collaborative law attorney and explain the situation, so he or she can begin to help you and your spouse find common ground.
It's important that you come up with a settlement or agreement that works for both of you and your work schedules. Coming up with an agreement you both agree with will also help build a stronger co-parenting relationship for the future.
If you find that it's hard to work together, think of it this way: What happens to your child could shape his or her future. You must work together as business partners to come up with the best plan for getting your child to adulthood with the strength, health and support he or she needs.
Source: The Good Men Project, "Putting Together a Co-Parenting Plan," Armin Brott, Jan. 23, 2018