Basler Family Law helps you obtain a Parenting Plan that is crafted to ensure that your child(ren)’s best interests are always put first.
In Colorado, child custody is referred to as “Allocation of Parental Responsibilities” or “APR”. An APR is used in cases when the parents of the child(ren) have never been married. An APR is broken down into two parts: (1) parenting time, and (2) decision-making responsibility.
At Basler Family Law, our primary focus is ensuring that the best interests of your child(ren) are always at the forefront of your legal position. The attorneys at Basler Family Law are there for you during every step of an APR, from the initial Order and through any and all modifications of the Parenting Plan throughout the years. We are always there for you, ready to help you do what is best for your family.
Parenting Time
Basler Family Law understands that parenting time with your child(ren) is an extremely important, sensitive matter. Basler Family Law attorneys strive to help you and the other parent come to a parenting time agreement through a collaborative agreement. Oftentimes these parenting time agreements are agreed to during mediation. They are incorporated into a Parenting Plan that ensures that your family has a blueprint on how to move forward with as little conflict as possible.
Unfortunately, sometimes the parents are not able to come to an agreement, and if that is the case, the attorneys at Basler Family Law are very experienced in the courtroom and are ready to fight for you and your child(ren). If an agreement cannot be reached, it will then be up to a judge to determine what they believe is the best parenting time schedule for your child(ren) using Colorado’s statutory “best interest standard”. Whatever the court determines, is the arrangement the parents will then need to follow.
Regular parenting time schedules are usually based on a 2-week repeating basis. For equal parenting time schedules, there are many options such as a week on, week off schedule, a 5-2-2-5 schedule or a 3-4-4-3 schedule. As an example, a 5-2-2-5 schedule might be Monday and Tuesday night always with mom, Wednesday and Thursday night always with dad, and then the parents alternate weekends. This results with the child spending 5 nights in a row with mom, 2 nights with dad, 2 nights with mom and then 5 nights with dad. The benefits of these set schedules are the consistency and structure it provides your child. In this example a child will always know that on Monday nights I stay with mom and I spent last weekend with mom so this weekend is with dad. This lowers the child’s stress and anxiety, which is definitely in their best interests.
APRs also account for holiday and vacation parenting time. These would take priority over the regular parenting time schedule.
Decision Making
Your APR agreement will also include decision-making responsibilities. These responsibilities are for the major decisions such as your child(ren)s education and health care. Decision making can also be agreed upon by the parents through mediation or a collaborative agreement. However, if parents cannot come to such agreement then this too would go before the court.
Courts generally prefer that both parents make decisions jointly. However, this is not always in the best interest of the child. In these cases, the court will weigh various factors when making its determination.
Basler Family Law can help you to understand these factors and can explain how they pertain to your family. We are here to guide you through this extremely important matter and fight for your child(ren)’s best interests.
You Can Have Control Over the Process
Your case does not have to be handed over to a judge to make all of the decisions. You can maintain some control by creating a Parenting Plan with the other parent. Courts actually prefer when parents are able to come to an agreement together.
At Basler Family Law, our attorneys can help you reach an agreement that is in your child’s best interests and avoid a judge making those decisions. If your case does go before a judge, our attorneys will ensure that we present the best case possible so the judge orders what is best for your child(ren).
We Are Here for All Your Needs
We have handled countless child custody/APR cases and truly understand the emotions that are involved. We understand you are fighting for what you believe is in your child’s best interest, and we are here to help you come with a position that reflects just that. Contact us today for more information.