Divorced parents often worry about whether their child is properly cared for when they are spending time with the other parent, particularly when that parent regularly relies on babysitters, child care providers, or extended family to watch their child during their agreed upon parenting time.
If a parent discovers that the other parent is regularly leaving a child in the care of others when it’s their turn to spend time with the child, they may wish to include a first right of refusal provision in their parenting plan as part of the child custody order.
The first right of refusal refers to a provision where a parent will be offered the opportunity to care for their child when the other parent cannot during their scheduled parenting time. First right of refusal requires a parent to contact the other parent to see if they are available before leaving the child in the care of others.
A well thought out parenting plan can include a first right of refusal and specific situations where it will apply. It may be that parents agree that the first right of refusal will be limited to weekends or state the amount of time that the parent must be unavailable before they are required to contact the other parent. The parenting plan may also include the how parents will contact each other and how transportation will be handled to streamline the process.
A first right of refusal provision can alleviate concerns regarding how a child is cared for when a parent is unavailable during their scheduled parenting time and can maximize time spent with a child after a divorce. When creating an Illinois parenting plan, it is important to work with an experienced child custody lawyer to ensure that you have a comprehensive plan that works for your family. If you would like more information regarding implementing the first right of refusal in an Illinois parenting plan, or have other questions regarding Illinois parenting time, contact family law attorney Ronald L Bell & Associates LLC for more information today.