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  • Select a category to read what Cynthia Fox has written about that topic in her weekly Suburban Journal column.
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About Child Custody & Parenting Plans

Child Custody or Parenting Plans pertain to non-financial support issues about the children of divorcing or divorced parents, as well as to children of unmarried parents. Child custody issues can be changed by a court when there are big, continuing changes or when it is in the best interest of the child.

The law requires a Parenting Plan that addresses the issues required by statute, [e.g. the actual schedule of time between each parent and child, transportation, extracurricular activities, medical treatment, decision-making authority of each parent over the "big deal" issues of parenting (i.e. medical, religious, educational, and general welfare issues)]. It will also state if health insurance is to be provided to cover a child, what percentage of non-insurance paid medical expenses is payable by each parent, as well as which parent is to directly pay child care and other extraordinary expenses (such as private schooling, college expenses or car expenses) for the child, and when support payments are payable.

At times, one parent may decide that the parenting plan is no longer in the best interests of the child involved, yet the other parent disagrees. In such cases, the parent files a "motion to modify" in order to seek court approval to change the parenting plan.

Cynthia Fox has handled many custody cases, and has provided many different types of parenting plans to suit the needs of the particular families at stake.