Coronavirus and quarantine guidelines are challenging for us all, but they present even more challenges to divorced families navigating between split homes.
Consistency is comforting: Psychologists emphasize fear of the unknown increases anxiety for children, so maintaining consistency is the goal. As much as you can, in both houses keep to your normal routines: bedtime schedules, homework and chores. Be sure to mutually enforce coronavirus protocols. For example, taking off shoes before entering, washing hands, wiping down cell phones and tablets — you don’t want to spread germs between homes.
Safety First: What if your ex isn’t allowed to work from home, or his/her job actually poses a higher risk to COVID-19 exposure? As co-parents it’s best to put your children’s safety first.
Temporarily adjusting your child custody calendar may be necessary. This is – in no way – deemed an official legal change.
Family and divorce attorney Evan Braunstein suggests for co-parents to, “Put any adjustments in writing for a set amount of time, perhaps week by week and make sure legal guardians verify the adjustment, via email, text — or both. This in no way is an official change in the child custody order, but it’s a temporary fix for co-parents working together for the best of their kids.”
TIP: You may also offer makeup days for the parent who is temporarily losing days.
High Conflict Situations: Quarantined or not, high conflict situations that cannot be resolved, will still need to be handled by the courts. Court rules and regulations vary from state to state and those in the legal profession are guessing the courts and various proceedings may be behind as much as 6-months. We do not have a crystal ball so err on the side of what’s best for your child.
Child Support: Many parents are being laid off due to COVID-19 and are wondering about child support laws. Attorney Braunstein reminds us all, “People shouldn’t take advantage of this pandemic situation. The laws remain intact. If a court date is in your future, family law courts are going to look at the past situation and ask who did good by their children and who took advantage of the system?”
As with all legal matters, consult your local attorney or law advocacy group wherever you reside.