Parenting plans and custody agreements work best when parents cooperate and make arrangements they both support. However, it is often difficult for parents to work together on a custody plan, even when they both want to come to an agreement (and, if one parent is uncooperative it can feel impossible to negotiate). Fortunately, even when there is disagreement and conflict, Custody X Change can help you negotiate a fair plan with the other parent by:

• Easing the stress and tension when working with the other parent on your plan,
• Making it easy to look at options for your parenting time schedule,
• Allowing you to add personal custody provisions in your agreement, and
• Providing you with clear visuals of your parenting time and your entire plan.

When negotiating your child custody agreement, you and the other parent have to put your personal feelings aside and focus on what is best for your child. This can be difficult to do because custody negotiations often bring up negative feelings between parents. There are several ways that Custody X Change helps ease some of the stress and tension in negotiation:

• You can personally use the software to create multiple sample plans to show the other parent when you meet to negotiate.

• You can take the information from a meeting with the other parent and go home and create a plan that incorporates what both parents want.
• You can sit down with the other parent in front of the computer and work together to make a plan you both like.

Offer a Few Suggested Plans: Custody X Change makes it simple to create parenting plans, so you can use the software to create multiple plans that you like to show the other parent. This eliminates stress because you don't have to spend hours and hours writing a plan out by hand, only to have the other parent reject it. Instead, you can create several acceptable plans and get feedback from the other parent about what will work.

Make Quick Changes: If you have a meeting with the other parent and he/she has suggestions for improving a plan, you can simply go home and make the changes in the software. Then, when you meet again you will have different plans to present and you can both have a plan you like. This saves you from the constant battling back and forth because you always have acceptable options for yourself and you can ask for input from the other parent.

A Neutral Tool: You can also use Custody X Change as a neutral tool that helps both of you sit together and cooperate as you make your agreement. Many times the software reduces tension just because it helps both parents focus on making a plan. By following the steps of the software you can stay focused on your child by following a checklist for making each part of your agreement.

With Custody X Change, you can easily look at different options for your parenting time schedule so that you can create a schedule that works for your child and that each parent can support. As you make a schedule in Custody X Change you can:

• See the exact timeshare percentage that each parent has with the children, so you can make a schedule that really gives fair parenting time to both parents;
• Look at different options for the residential schedule until you find something that will work for your child and your situation;
• Customize your schedule so that it fits your child's needs;
• Add holidays and divide the holiday time between the parents; and
• Include special events and vacations so your schedule is complete.

All of these help you negotiate a schedule with the other parent that makes everyone happy. Getting a good schedule in place also makes it easier for both parents to follow the agreement and reduces conflict later on.

Including personal rules and provisions in your plan helps you and the other parent feel more secure about your agreement and allows you to customize your plan to fit your situation. Custody X Change makes it easy to include provisions because it provides a list of provisions to choose from, and you can also add extra, personal provisions. Parents commonly include provisions that provide information about:

• Transportation to and from exchanges,
• Resolving disputes and making changes to the plan,
• Changing parenting time,
• Handling extra expenses for the child,
• Traveling with the child,
• Child care for the child, etc.

Adding custody provisions to your agreement will help you get the right plan for your child and for your circumstances. Provisions also make it easier to implement and follow the parenting plan after negotiations.

As you make a schedule and plan using Custody X Change, you can print documents that clearly show and explain your parenting time and other custody arrangements. The documents from the software include:

• Calendars that show when each parent has the children;
• Holiday schedules that show how the parents have divided the holiday time;
• Complete parenting plans that outline the schedule, parenting provisions, and other custody terms and conditions; and
• Timeshare percentage reports that break down the exact time each parent has with the children.

These documents are useful when you sit down with the other parent to negotiate the custody agreement. They give you a tool to easily and quickly explain your parenting plan ideas, and the clear visuals help the other parent see what you are talking about. And, once you have a plan both of you like, you can sign the agreement and submit it to the court.