Making plans: A guide to parenting arrangements after separation or divorce

• Previous Page

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Section 1: What you may be feeling
  • Separation and your emotions
  • Stages of grief
  • Moving forward
  • Ask yourself: How am I coping with the separation or divorce?
• Section 2: What your children may be feeling
  • Your children may be grieving too
  • What your children need to hear
  • Telling your children about the separation or divorce
  • What you should keep to yourself
  • How is your child coping?
• Section 3: Parenting after separation—Focusing on your children
  • Some tips for working together
  • How to improve your communication skills with the other parent
  • Your duties under the Divorce Act
  • Protecting your children from conflict
  • Games that parents sometimes play
  • Ask yourself: How is our co-parenting relationship working?
• Section 4: What is the best parenting arrangement for my child?
  • Best interests of the child
  • Decision-Making responsibility
  • Terminology under the Divorce Act
  • Parenting time
  • Resolving future parenting issues
  • Child support
• Section 5: Options for developping a parenting arrangement
  • Parenting Plans: Putting your parenting arrangements in writing
  • Options for coming up with a parenting arrangement
  • Options for reaching an agreement
  • Processes in which a third party makes the decisions
  • Including your children's perspective
  • Choosing the best process for your situation
  • Making changes to an existing agreement or court order
• Section 6: Special issues
  • Family violence
  • When one parent wants to move away
  • Following the terms of your agreement or order
  • New relationships and blended families
• Appendix A: Advice about using electronic communications
• Glossary