While some couples may be able to keep their cool — or even get along — during a divorce, when it comes to child custody decisions no two parents should ever just assume that they are always going to continue to agree on everything when it comes to raising their children. Even if the divorce went smoothly, issues can still arise in the future.
Take for example the recent case involving musician Jack White and ex-wife Karen Elson. This is a couple that threw a joint party to celebrate their divorce. At the time, most would assume the two were clearly not having any issues with each other and everything would continue to run smoothly even after their divorce.
However, as a recent restraining order against White goes to show, this is not always the case as there can always be new challenges when it comes to parenting decisions.
In the case of White and Elson, the issue is over their child’s education. White wants their child put in another class as he does not want his son in the same class as a child whose father supposedly ripped off his music.
Granted, there are not many Illinois parents who are going to be in the exact same situation, but, in general, disagreements over a child’s educational opportunities could certainly arise after a divorce.
This is why it is important to not only have a solid parenting plan at the time of a divorce, but also have a means to be able to communicate any issues as time goes on.
Some parents choose the route of mediation. This is gives parents the space to set up ground rules and talk about issues, such as who will have a say in what school a child attends and what activities the children can participate in.
No matter what route a parent takes though, know screaming and yelling is not the answer. Rather, reach out to talk with a family law attorney in order to see how to go about parenting decisions.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Using Mediation to Keep Your Cool During Divorce and Beyond,” Silvana D. Raso, Aug. 27, 2013
