Shared Parenting Time Guidelines in Indiana

Going through any kind of divorce can be difficult, but it is especially easy to feel overwhelmed when you have to develop a shared parenting plan. Losing precious moments with your children is a frightening thought, and the legal requirements of creating parenting plans are complex and burdensome. Without a parenting plan in place, however, you may find yourself dealing with increased conflict and uncertainty in parental roles, which lead to harm for your children.

Co-parenting can be tough, but coming up with a co-parenting plan doesn’t have to be with help from Cordell & Cordell. Our professionals are happy to offer a beacon of hope to those navigating this complicated process in Indiana. Look at how we can help draft a plan that protects your child and your rights.

Revised 2022 Indiana Parenting Plan

Beginning January 1, 2022, Indiana’s revised parenting plan guidelines were released, which focus on shared rather than parallel parenting. With parallel parenting, both parents are given responsibilities that tend not to involve the other parent very much. Meanwhile, shared parenting fosters an environment of effective parental communication and cooperation.

This change was primarily motivated by the pandemic, which left some parents struggling to keep their children safe while also remaining compliant with court orders. Shared parenting plans are an attempt to remedy this, making it easier for divorced parents to fulfill their responsibilities without compromising the child’s safety.

What is Shared Parenting?

Shared parenting is a co-parenting model designed to assist parents who do not need as much separation in their personal relationship to foster a more seamless experience for their children in each home. The central idea is to make each parent’s home feel like a home for the child so they are safe and comfortable no matter which parent they stay with at any given time. The model is for parents that can cooperate and agree to the shared parenting plan. It’s up to each parent to help create a strong bond between the child and both parents.

The Benefits of Shared Parenting In Indiana

Shared parenting offers a multitude of benefits for your family. Here are just a few that shared parenting practices can offer for your children.

• Better relationships with both parents
• Better attention and performance at school
• Better levels of social and psychological health
• Less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol
• Less likely to suffer from stress-related issues like anxiety and depression

Shared parenting can additionally offer benefits for the parents themselves such as the following.

• Shared responsibility for children, which eases the burden on the individual
• Scheduling parenting time forces an establishment of a routine
• Increased cost-sharing on everyday items

Common Challenges and Solutions in Shared Parenting

Quite a few challenges can present themselves in shared parenting arrangements. Here are a few of the most common alongside potential solutions.

• One parent misses their parenting time: If one parent does not show up when they’re supposed to, the other parent is forced to make last-minute arrangements or pick up the slack personally. If cancellation is a recurring issue, the responsible parent can document these incidents and use them to justify modifying the custody agreement.
• One parent denies access to their child for the other parent: Sometimes, parents will purposely deny their ex-spouse access to the child. These incidents must be documented and can then be used to support a modification to the custody agreement. Note that this applies regardless of what excuses the denying parent uses, such as the child not wanting to stay with the other parent.
• One parent slanders the other in front of your children: Sometimes, in divorce or separation cases, one of the parents may try to manipulate their children by portraying themselves as the good one while portraying the other parent as the bad one. In such cases, it is best to avoid getting involved in these matters and instead, focus on maintaining a healthy relationship with your children. Children will eventually form their own opinions based on their own experiences, and it is important to respect their decisions and emotions.
• One parent slanders the other to people in your child’s life: One parent may slander the other to teachers, family, friends, and other adults in your child’s life. Again, the best course of action is to focus on the relationship you have with your child. People will decide for themselves what kind of parent you are based on your actions, not what your ex has to say about you.
• One parent ignores agreed avenues of communication: Every co-parenting arrangement is different, but they tend to all involve a specific way of communication between the parents. If you and your ex agreed on text messages, for example, it can be a serious problem when they repeatedly fail to respond to your texts. You can remedy this by noting a specific response window or time of week to expect replies. If that doesn’t work, you may need to document this problem and use it to help justify a modification to the agreement.

Parenting Plans for High-Conflict Parents

Shared parenting can be extremely difficult when two parents cannot work with one another. Every interaction they have could ultimately turn into an argument, and that makes the actual parenting part of the relationship very difficult. To remedy high-conflict situations, a parenting coordinator can be appointed to the case either by agreement of the parties involved or by court order.

The parenting coordinator works to educate the parents on how their behavior affects the child and facilitates healthy communication and cooperation between all parties involved. If the parents do not take the parenting coordinator’s advice and/or recommendations, the coordinator can make reports to the court for further consideration.

Why Work With Cordell & Cordell?

Cordell & Cordell has extensive experience working in family law in Indiana with lawyers who advocate for men and fathers, as they may often be disadvantaged in the family court system. We facilitate a communicative attorney-client relationship and take an aggressive approach to protecting your rights and advocating for the future of your family and children. Take a look at what some of our previous clients had to say about our services.

“Someone, maybe the person that started the firm, wrote a book regarding the perspective of a man, which was a really great recourse and set the tone regarding the Firm as it relates to men and divorce. [My attorney] has a lot of experience and is a valuable asset for the Firm.” — Anonymous

“​Cordell and Cordell has it figured out and streamlined. I liked that I could see everything on the website, including documents I had turned in.” — Richard G.

Factors To Consider For Shared Parenting

Shared parenting may be right for your situation as long as you consider the following factors:

• How much joint work needs to be done for childcare?
• How well the child can adapt to changes
• The age of the child
• The physical, emotional, and mental health and needs of the child
• How well you get along with your ex-spouse
• How interested both parents are in raising the child and committing to parenting responsibilities
• Ability to accommodate differences
• How positive the child’s relationship is with both parents
• The co-parenting relationship between the parents
• The parenting styles of both parents
• The decision-making skills of both parents

Having a shared parenting plan does not stop child support. Child support is designed to cover the costs of raising the child, so it can be affected by shared parenting arrangements. Since shared parenting typically offers a lot of time with your child, you may find that child support payments are less than what you would experience without shared custody.

Also know that shared parenting plans can be modified over time. Certain aspects of a parenting plan can have a designated end date in the agreement, and the agreement itself can be changed due to extenuating circumstances. Additionally, a shared parenting plan should leave room for flexibility regarding parenting time. For example, the parents should be able to schedule makeup time without involving the courts.

Fighting For Your Fair Share

Shared parenting is a great solution for many children, but you may have to fight for what’s fair. That’s where Cordell & Cordell can help. Our family law attorneys have extensive experience advocating for men and fathers in child custody cases, divorce cases, and beyond to fight for a fair shot in a system that can be biased against them. Contact our team today by filling out our online contact form or calling 866-DADS-LAW to schedule an initial consultation.