| The necessary laws parents need to know about child | | | | families has on the children. The course can include |
| custody in Connecticut are found in Title 46b of the | | | | information about the developmental stages of children, |
| Connecticut General Statutes. Within these statutes, a | | | | how children can adjust to parental separation, how |
| mother and father can learn the requirements of what | | | | parents can resolve disputes and conflict, how to |
| needs to be included in a parenting plan. This is | | | | handle visitation, making the custody agreement, and |
| important because the plan must have the right | | | | how to help the child handle the stresses of the |
| information in order to be accepted by the court. Here | | | | separation. Parents only have to take this class once, |
| are some of the laws that affect the custody | | | | and the court can waive the requirement. |
| agreement. | | | | 3. Best interest of the child standard. Right in Title 46 it |
| 1. Parental responsibility plan. There are a few ways, | | | | says that all custody decisions, including the making of |
| listed in Title 46b Chapter 56, that a parent can get a | | | | the custody agreement, must be guided by what is in |
| custody order from the court. The parents can agree | | | | the best interest of the child. This means that the |
| on a parenting plan that they submit to the court. There | | | | parents should make the children the focus of |
| can be an award of joint custody where the parents | | | | everything in the plan, and they should be willing to put |
| must come up with an agreement about how they will | | | | the child's needs above their own. If the child is old |
| share responsibility, time, and other decisions about the | | | | enough and mature enough to form an intelligent |
| child. One parent can also have sole custody with an | | | | opinion, the court will listen to the wishes of the child. |
| adequate visitation plan for the other parent. | | | | Parents should consider this as they make the |
| 2. The parenting education class. Chapter 69b lays out | | | | agreement. Sometimes the court will also take the |
| the format of the parenting education class in the | | | | circumstances of the parents' separation into account |
| state. This class is offered by the court to educate | | | | as they decide custody matters. |
| parents about the impact that the restructuring of | | | | |