It is always beneficial to familiarize yourself with some of the more common legal terms you will hear if you find yourself in the middle of a divorce for the first time. This is especially true when it comes to the new relationship you’ll soon have with your soon-to-be former spouse, which is commonly referred to as a co-parenting relationship. But there’s also another term that is sometimes used, and it’s called parallel parenting. But what’s the difference between co-parenting and parallel parenting?
Let’s explore the answer to this question in today’s blog post.
What is Co-Parenting?
As we’ve written about quite a few times in our growing library of blog posts, co-parenting is a post-divorce arrangement where both parents jointly participate and work together to raise their children — even though they are divorced and living separately. With co-parenting, divorced parents are equally involved in their kids’ upbringing and activities, which includes everything from who is responsible for picking up the kids after school to working through scheduling conflicts, offering emotional support, and making key decisions on healthcare and other needs.
This involves substantial interaction between the parents, both in public and private, and only works effectively when there is communication, patience, and teamwork.
Just a few of the benefits of co-parenting include:
- Your children feel safe, secure, and valued in their new environment.
- Children don’t feel like they are constantly stuck in the middle of arguments.
- Both parents can still have close and loving relationships with their children.
- Co-parenting is a chance to model what a healthy relationship looks like (against all odds).
- Each parent can share responsibilities and have a say in raising their children.
- Parents with a positive co-parenting relationship experience less tension, less conflict, and fewer problems.
- Both parents can actively participate in their children’s lives.
- Your children learn how to solve problems peacefully.
- Co-parenting improves teamwork and communication with teachers, coaches, relatives, shared friends, etc.
- Co-parenting results in improved organization between households.
Ok, so What is Parallel Parenting?
While co-parenting facilitates healthier interactions between parents as they attempt to be present in their kids’ lives, parallel parenting aims to limit direct contact between parents because they cannot respectfully communicate with each other or work directly with one another. They are still committed to helping their children thrive in their new environment. But they also want to avoid the potential for conflict.
With parallel parenting, you will likely see the following:
- Non-personal and business-like communication as it relates to the children.
- Each parent has their own parenting approach when the children are with them.
- Any changes that take place cannot be made without a written agreement.
- There is minimal sharing of personal information between parents.
- Parents share schedules by using a calendar or in writing.
- Parents don’t attend the same child-related events.
At Christman | Daniell Attorneys, our attorneys anchor their representation and legal advice on principles and philosophies that focus on the long-term best interests of children and families. Our mission is to provide our clients with long-range perspectives and outstanding legal advice that help them rebuild their families after marital dissolution.
Where you fall in that conversation may not be clearly defined until we can sit down, dive into your unique situation, and determine the best course of action for everyone involved.
Please call Christman | Daniell Attorneys for your legal needs today!
Looking for family law services in Texas? Christman | Daniell Attorneys is your premier choice. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the legal landscape in cities throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Our skilled team is dedicated to helping families navigate complex legal matters. Whether it’s divorce, child custody, or adoption, trust Christman | Daniell Attorneys to provide compassionate and effective representation for all your family law needs throughout Collin County.
Please consult an attorney for advice about your individual situation. The material on this website and in this or any blog article we publish are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. The attorneys at Christman | Daniell Attorneys believe in tailoring legal advice and solutions to your own personal circumstances.
We have an unwavering commitment to helping our clients at each stage of their legal situation.