Legal professionals of Reuter Law Group, PC
Will parallel parenting work for you?

Will parallel parenting work for you?

On Behalf of | Oct 14, 2021 | Child Custody and Visitation, Child Support |

When looking into your parenting options, you may actually have more than you believe. After all, it is not a stark decision where you either choose sole custody or joint custody. There are many forms of custody, each aiming to help a different family dynamic.

Parallel parenting is one potential form of custody that may benefit you. But how does it work, and what are the exact pros?

Written communication only

Psychology Today examines parallel parenting and how it works. Parallel parenting serves as a way to keep you and your co-parent separated while you cool down from the divorce and adjust to life after the split. At the same time, it gives you both access to your child, allowing you to parent equally but at a distance from one another.

If you opt for parallel parenting, you will go through a period in which you cannot communicate in person. Instead, you will do all of your communicating over text or through writing. This can include handwritten letters or notes, text messages, emails and instant messages.

You can even record details about visitation or notes about your child in a notebook and pass them back and forward with your child. This lets you keep each other updated about current happenings in their life without having to hold a conversation.

Reevaluating your parenting situation

With time, the court will reevaluate your situation and determine when you are ready to move away from parallel parenting and toward cooperative parenting, which is the ultimate goal. But many families find this cool-down period useful in creating a stable foundation.