Thursday, February 16, 2012

Determining A Parenting Time Schedule

Developing a parenting time schedule that fits a child’s needs and satisfies both parents can be very challenging.  One resource that all parents involved in a divorce or paternity case in Indiana should carefully review is the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines. For the full text of the Guidelines please visit, (http://www.in.gov/judiciary/rules/parenting/index.html).
The Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines provide a parenting time schedule that gradually increases from the time of a child’s birth up until the child is three (3) years of age whereby parenting time occurs every other weekend and alternating holidays.  However, the parenting time schedule provided by the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines represents a minimum amount of reasonable parenting time to be afforded to the non-custodial parent, and many Indiana Courts commonly award an involved, non-custodial parent parenting time in excess of the schedule provided in the guidelines.
Another great resource for divorcing parenting and parents who never married when developing a parenting time schedule is Arizona’s Guide for Parents Living Apart (http://www.azcourts.gov/Portals/31/ParentingTime/PPWguidelines.pdf).  This guide analyzes fourteen (14) commonly used parenting time schedules including the age range of children for which each schedule may be best suited along with the advantages and disadvantages of each schedule for parents to consider.

In Indiana, so long as a parenting time schedule is in the best interest of the child, parents are free to be as creative as they wish in developing a parenting time schedule that works best for their family.
At Hollingsworth & Zivitz, P.C., our team has the experience, the understanding, and the compassion to assist with your family law needs. If you have questions or concerns regarding divorce, custody, support, or any other family law concerns contact our firm at 317.569.2200 or hzlegal.com.

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