Children are supposed to have a good relationship with their parents. Under Australian law children are supposed to be protected from all kind of harm. The law also doesn’t make any suppositions regarding parental roles because it is actually gender neutral.
The decision which would decide a child’s future depends wholly upon what is good for the child. For children under the age of eighteen, if their parents separate, they normally share a joint custody of the child. Both would play an active role in bringing up the child.
All decisions re based on the best interest of the child, whether those are short term or long term decisions. From things like the schools which the child is supposed to attend to decisions regarding their health and safety are made jointly by both the parents.
However, it should be kept in mind that shared responsibility is not equivalents to parents sharing the same amount of time with the child. Terms like custody or contact arrangement are no longer considered under the Australian law.
Also there is no rule which states that the child needs to share equal time with both the parents. The child may choose to live with any one of the parent. However, all decisions regarding their health and safety and their future must be shared between the parents.
When it comes to making decisions regarding the child, what actually maters is that the parents should focus on what is best for their child. There are times when both the parents might disagree on a certain decision. However there are special family mediation services which can help the parents come to a mutual agreement. You will need the assistance of top rated family lawyers in Darwin to settle this matter.
Who handles the financial responsibility?
It is the duty of both the parents to support their child. Despite the fact that the parents have decided to separate, they are bot equally responsible for their child’s financial needs. The child support program is headed by the department of human services. it assists the parents in providing financial support for the child.
Making a parenting agreement with the other parent
Parenting agreement could be an oral agreement between the parents on the best possible ways to up bring their child. It could also comprise of a written parenting plan. Also there could be a formal agreement which is put forward in the court and is known as a consent order.
A parenting order though is only necessary when both the parents fail to reach an agreement regarding their child’s wellbeing on their own. The following things should be considered when making a parenting agreement:
- How old the child is at the time of the separation
- Which parents would be able to best provide complete care for the child on a day to day basis
- Does the child have any special needs?
- The educational needs of the child
- Consideration must be given to the fact that which parent is more financially stable and therefore able to provide more for the child
- The complete wellbeing and safety of the child
Keeping these things in mind would definitely help in ensuring that the child remains wellprotected and safe despite the parents separating.