Connecticut Custody Schedule

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Separated or divorcing parents need to decide how the mother and father will share the time with the children. The best way to do this is by creating a custody, or parenting time, schedule that outlines when the child is with each parent and including the schedule in the custody agreement or parenting plan. The task of setting up a custody schedule is very important because it dictates the amount of time you will have with the children until the children are adults. Here is some information to help Alabama parents create a child custody schedule.

How to Make a Custody Schedule

A good, complete custody schedule has the following components: the repeating cycle of custody and visitation, the holiday schedule, vacation time, and special events. You should also consider adding provisions into the agreement that help your schedule work better.

The Repeating Cycle of Custody and Visitation

• This is the basic schedule of custody and visitation and it allocates the weekday and weekend time between the parents.
• If one parent has sole physical custody the children will live with that parent and visit the other parent.
• If parents have joint physical custody they usually split the time more evenly.
• Map out a schedule for a few weeks that shows when your child will be with each parent. Then, repeat this schedule throughout the year.

The Holiday Schedule

• This is the schedule that shows where the children will be on the holidays.
• Come up with a list of holidays you want to include in the schedule. Along with national holidays, you can include religious, school, and special family events in the holiday schedule.
• Go through the holidays and determine when the holiday starts and when it ends. For example, the holiday of Thanksgiving may extend through the four day weekend, or it could only be one day.
• You can also split some holidays in half so the child spends some time with both parents.
• Once the length is determined, the holidays should be equally distributed between the mother and father.
• You and the other parent can then decide how to alternate the holidays over the years.

Vacation Time

• You can schedule time for each parent to take the children on vacation by putting a specified or unspecified vacation into the custody schedule.
• A specified vacation gives the exact dates when the mother and father can take the children on vacation.
• An unspecified vacation puts a clause into the custody agreement or parenting plan that says the mother and father can take the children for so many days of the year provided they give enough notice to the other parent. An example of that would be "The mother and father can take the children for up to seven days twice a year for vacation. They must notify the other parent thirty days in advance in order to take the children."
• You can also make an alternative repeating cycle for vacation time. For example, a child may spend more time living with a non-custodial parent during summer and winter break.

Special Events

• A special event is any situation where the normal custody schedule changes. For example, a child may participate in a sport that has weekly games in the fall. During the season, you can switch the day or times of visitation to accommodate the games.
• Including special events in the calendar as soon as you know about them can make the schedule more clear.

Provisions that Affect the Custody Schedule

• Provisions are rules or stipulations that the parents agree to follow about different aspects of the custody situation.
• Provisions in the agreement can help the custody schedule run more smoothly. You should think about some provisions that can enhance you schedule and put them in the plan.
• Some example provisions include: how you and the other parent will make changes to the schedule, right of first refusal (the other parent gets the first chance to have the children if the parent who has custody can't take them), how to handle babysitters during parenting time, transportation for the exchanges of the child, etc.

Your Connecticut Custody Schedule

• Connecticut parents must include a custody schedule in their custody agreement or parenting plan.
• The law favors schedules where parents have joint custody over the children. The time in the schedule doesn't have to be divided exactly in half, but each parent should have sufficient time with the children to further develop relationships with them.
• If the parents aren't able to work out a schedule, they must go to court and let a judge decide what the schedule will be.
• Each parent should prepare a custody schedule and a parental responsibility plan that outlines the rest of the custody arrangements.
• The plan must include provisions that explain how parents will resolve future disputes, how the parents will make changes to the schedule and plan, what happens when a parent doesn't follow the plan, and how the parents will minimize the child's exposure to parental conflict.
• The judge will listen to both of the presented plans and then determine what the custody schedule and other arrangements will be.

How Custody X Change can Help

Custody X Change is custody software that lets you create a custody agreement or parenting plan. Since the custody schedule is such a major part of the agreement, with the software you can easily make each component of the schedule. This allows you to have a custom custody schedule that fits the needs of your child.

• Start building your schedule by creating a repeating cycle of custody. You can choose from a list of common cycles (alternating weeks, alternating weekends, alternating weekends with an overnight visit, etc.) or create a new, unique cycle.
• Look through a comprehensive list of holidays and choose what to include in your holiday schedule. Simply check the holidays you want (holidays can be added as well), set the times the holiday starts and ends, and assign the holidays to the mother and father.
• Add a specified or unspecified vacation to the schedule and custody agreement, and create different schedules for extended vacation periods (like summer break).
• View the exact time-share percentage that each parent has with the children. This helps you know exactly how much time you have with the children, and it helps you adjust the schedule to meet your needs.
• Easily make changes to the calendar by adding special events when the custody changes.
• Include important provisions in your agreement that impact the schedule. For example, you can include rules about transportation between exchanges, how the child's extra events will be handled, child care issues, etc.
• Print the documents for your schedule and your custody agreement. The documents include a calendar of the schedule, a written report of the schedule, a timeshare percentage report, and your included provisions.
• Track your custody schedule after you set it up. You can enter in the actual time of visitation, write notes about what happens during visitation, and print a report that shows the difference between scheduled and actual parenting time.
• Export all of your calendar and agreement information to Word, PDF, and Excel.
• Sync the calendar of your schedule to your Blackberry, iPhone, Palm/PDA, Outlook, Google Calendar, Yahoo Calendar, Windows Live, etc.

Parents in Connecticut Use Custody X Change To

• Easily meet all of the requirements of the parental responsibility plan.
• Make a complete schedule of the physical residence by exploring various options until you find the best one for your child.
• Include the necessary Connecticut parenting provisions about conflict resolution, changing the plan, repercussions for not following the plan, limiting the child's exposure to harmful conflict, and making decisions for the child.
• Ease tension and conflict when working with the other parent to prepare a plan.
• Prepare individually to present a plan at mediation or at court.
• Pay or receive the right amount of child support based on an accurate timeshare percentage.
• Save money in legal fees by doing a lot of your own work.
• Track the actual time that both parents have the children so you know the plan is being followed.
• Keep a visitation journal so you know what is going on with the children.
• Modify a plan using the tracking information and documentation.
• Reduce the stress with the custody situation because the parenting plan is taken care of.

You can get a free thirty day trial of Custody X Change by entering your name and email at the top of the page. Join the others in Connecticut who have found the easy way to make the best child custody schedule.

The top twenty cities in Connecticut (by population, US Census Bureau, 2008) are: Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, Danbury, New Britain, Bristol, West Hartford, Meriden, Milford, West Haven, Stratford, East Hartford, Middletown, Shelton, Norwich, Torrington, Trumbull.

Additional state custody schedule articles you might want to consider:

• Arizona Child Custody Schedule
• California Child Custody Schedule
• Florida Child Custody Schedule
• Georgia Child Custody Schedule
• Illinois Child Custody Schedule
• Massachusetts Child Custody Schedule
• Michigan Child Custody Schedule
• New Jersey Child Custody Schedule
• New York Child Custody Schedule
• North Carolina Child Custody Schedule
• Ohio Child Custody Schedule
• Pennsylvania Child Custody Schedule
• Texas Child Custody Schedule
• Virginia Child Custody Schedule
• Washington Child Custody Schedule

Two related article (not state-specific): Child Custody Schedule and Joint Child Custody.

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