How can I communicate with my child’s other parent?

In Pennsylvania, both parents generally have custody or visitation rights to their children. Therefore, if you share a child with your former partner, you will likely need to communicate with this person for many years after the relationship ends.

How will you communicate with this person?

If you have an amicable relationship with your child’s other parent, it may be acceptable to talk about your child over lunch once every week or two. However, if you don’t have a good relationship with your former spouse or partner, it may be best to communicate through text messages, emails or other electronic means. In extreme cases, it may be best to communicate with them through an attorney or other designated party.

What will you talk about with your child’s other parent?

Ideally, you will only talk about issues related to your child when communicating with the other parent. This can help to minimize the risk of a dispute occurring or otherwise talking about subjects that neither side should feel obligated to address. These issues may include how your son or daughter is doing in school, if there are problems at home or how to divide parenting time during an upcoming school break.

Should you keep records of your conversations?

It may be in your best interest to keep records of any conversations that you have with your child’s other parent about an existing child custody agreement. This may be helpful in the event that you think that the parent has violated its terms or is planning to do so.

Although it may be difficult to work with your child’s other parent, it may be the only way to ensure your son or daughter’s long-term happiness. However, it is within your rights to limit the method and frequency with which you communicate in an effort to protect your physical and mental health.