Many high-income earners in California travel frequently across the country for their jobs, even if they are parents. This travel can separate them from their child for periods, which can present challenges when it comes to implementing a traditional fixed child custody schedule in the event of a divorce.
Fortunately, there are child custody options that can be included in a parenting plan to accommodate such situations.
Scheduled parenting plans
When people think of parenting plans, they may initially envision “scheduled” parenting plans. These are parenting plans that explicitly lay out exactly which days and holidays each parent has the child in their care.
For example, one parent may have the child in their care every other weekend and one weeknight while the other parent has the child in their care the rest of the time. Parents may alternate who has the child for which holidays each year.
Reasonable parenting plans
However, scheduled parenting plans may not be feasible if a parent has an erratic work schedule or travels frequently for work. In such cases, a “reasonable” parenting plan may be more effective.
Reasonable parenting plans are open-ended with no set schedule. Parents work together informally to decide who will have the child in their care when. This can include regular visits and holidays.
Reasonable parenting plans can contain provisions allowing the child to communicate electronically with the other parent when the other parent is away. Reasonable parenting plans can also address how the child will travel to visit the out-of-town parent.
In the end, reasonable parenting plans may be the answer for parents who want to have parenting time with their child even if they travel frequently for work.