New York has one of the lowest divorce rates in the United States. However, when divorces do happen, there are two areas that couples tend to get very testy about. The first is money; it’s always hard to divide property. The second is child custody. No parent wants to feel that they’re getting the short end of the stick when it comes to their children.
The benefits of having a plan
The best way to deal with questions around child custody is to have a detailed plan. For some people, their divorce has been an amicable one, so they don’t foresee arguing over custody and visitation. However, the reality can be very different.
For example, it’s a good idea to be specific when organizing visitation transportation. Who will be doing the driving? Will the custodial parent drop the child off, or will the parent with visitation pick them up? In some cases, experts advise handing the child off in a neutral location. In some communities, police departments provide space to do this.
When parents live far apart, the cost of transportation will also be an issue. Air travel is expensive, and the logistics are challenging. Rail travel may be possible, but that poses difficulties, too. All of this should be discussed beforehand so that hurt feelings don’t happen at the time of travel. Everything should be specified in a written plan as much as possible.
Getting professional help with your plan
Experienced family law attorneys understand the challenges that come with child visitation. They know how heated divorces can get, and they understand how much parents love their children. In many cases, lawyers may even recommend custody mediators. It’s always a good idea to get a divorce lawyer’s input when making a visitation transportation plan.