Children’s Post-Divorce School Residence

When clients are preparing a Parenting Plan without help from an attorney, a common mistake is overlooking the children’s school residence. The Colorado Judicial Branch Parenting Plan form contains the following paragraph:

I have seen Parenting Plans where this checkbox was left blank, or where both boxes (“Mother” and “Father”) were checked. This can cause problems after divorce if one or both parents change school districts or disagree about where the children should go to school.

When the parents have joint decision-making for education, what happens when there is a tie? Colorado cases give the tie-breaking vote to the parent whose residence the children use for school purposes.

This is just one detail of many that can be overlooked in a Parenting Plan. Especially if you and your ex are getting along at the time of the divorce, it is easy to think you can complete the paperwork yourselves. However, an experienced family law attorney can help you make sure that you’ve covered all of the details. This can help alleviate disputes in the future and save you money in litigation costs down the road.

There are many details to consider when fashioning a Parenting Plan. I am here to help you avoid common pitfalls!