WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A LEGAL PARENTING PLAN IN SOUTH AFRICA?

Having a legal parenting plan drawn up by an experienced family law attorney has various benefits for all parties involved in a family unit. Parenting plans aims to support and guide parents, whether divorced or never married, the opportunity to foster, build and promote a respectful co-parenting relationship. It creates an environment whereby parents can effectively communicate, responsibly negotiate and amicably cooperate on all matters that affect their family.

These include:

* Clear guidelines set out and agreed to in the parenting plan enable ex-spouses/parties to work as a unit to raise children.

* It manages the parents’ expectations of each other as they agree to their respective duties and minimises the potential risk of conflict between them.

* Parenting plans are primarily based on the rights and responsibilities of parents, the best interest of the child and thus, foremost, protecting the children’s rights, prioritising their best interests by ensuring that they receive the care and support they need.

* Parenting plans focus on the child’s needs and feelings and what is best for them and allow children also to have a say in decisions affecting them. Children can also have input in matters such as who they will be living with, how much time they are to spend with a certain parent, where they want to celebrate special occasions, which parent they want to spend holidays with and more.