When spouses in Pennsylvania and across the United States come to the decision to divorce, a lot of difficult and time-consuming factors have to be taken into consideration. While splitting assets can be frustrating, nothing brings more hardship than splitting parenting time when it comes to the children involved.
Typically, a child custody arrangement takes a lot of work to create, whether through mediation or the courts, and once the parenting plan is set, it is rarely revisited. Although having a concrete plan is beneficial to all those involved, some family law professionals say it may not be ideal as life progresses.
In a recent news article, the issue of revisiting child custody arrangements was discussed. What may have worked as an arrangement when a child was a toddler may not work so well when they are in their teens. The issue stems around giving the older child a voice without letting them control the full outcome of the child custody agreement.
One marriage and family therapist believes child custody agreements should be revisited every two years and altered in order to fit the ever-changing lifestyle of the child or children involved. Obviously some oppose this idea, saying it could put additional strife between the parents, leading to more stress for the child involved.
Although most child custody agreements are held until a child turns 18, some parents in Pennsylvania and across the country are considering having a reevaluation period written into the actual agreement at the time of the divorce.
Source: LifeGoesStrong.com, “Getting a Divorce? Expert Says Ask Your Children How to Parent,” Pamela Cytrynbaum, June 1, 2012
