The Impacts of COVID-19 on Your Parenting Plan

The last couple of weeks in Florida and the rest of the country are unprecedented in recent memory. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has effectively shut down entire industries, cities, and schools. If you are divorced in Florida and have a parenting plan with your former spouse, now may be the time to review the terms in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

How COVID-19 May Impact Your Parenting Plan

The most significant impact of the COVID-19 is the closure of schools for grades K-12 with minor children. Many parents are now required to either find childcare during the day or take charge of their child’s schooling during the day in addition to managing their own work. When children are normally in school they may now be spending that time with one or both parents.

Another impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is the alterations that may be required if a parent or child either comes in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus or has tested positive themselves. This could require a self-quarantine up to two weeks in addition to any other care and separation that might be mandatory if someone in your family tests positive.

Options for Your Parenting Plan

The easiest option for your parenting plan during this time of crisis is to simply do nothing. You can simply continue to adhere to the parenting plan as written, with each parent having the children during their appointed days when they used to be in school. However, if that approach will not work for you or your former spouse, you can also use this as an opportunity to make some alterations to your parenting plan until the COVID-19 outbreak subsides.

If one parent has the ability to watch the children during the workday, consider changing your parenting plan to days with that parent and evenings with the other. Another option is for that parent to keep the children during the school week and the other to have the children during the weekends. In addition, flexibility should be considered if someone in your family tests positive for the coronavirus. You or your former spouse must be prepared to take the children for an extended period of time if someone needs to self-quarantine due to exposure or a positive test for the virus.

Contact Us Today for Help

At this point, it is unclear how long the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our children’s and our own daily lives. If you need assistance reevaluating your parenting plan in light of the coronavirus outbreak, the law office of Blair H. Chan, III in Tampa Bay is here to help. Call the office or contact us online to speak with an experienced Tampa family attorney today about your case.

Resource:

today.com/parents/how-divorced-parents-handle-custody-coronavirus-t176236

https://www.bchanlaw.com/the-benefits-of-collaborative-divorce/