| If you live in Georgia and have a child custody situation, | | | | is called joint legal custody. In Georgia, if you opt for |
| you must submit a parenting plan (also called a | | | | joint custody, you need to make sure you include |
| custody agreement) to the court. Your parenting plan | | | | provisions that outline exactly how various decisions |
| must include information about where the child will | | | | are made--if the parents must discuss every decision, |
| spend each day, exchange information, allocation of | | | | what happens if the parents disagree on the decision, |
| decision making authority, and anything else that will | | | | etc. |
| benefit the child. Here are some suggestions for | | | | You can also add any other provisions or stipulations |
| making a plan that the Georgia court will accept. | | | | that enhance the parenting plan. Georgia law requires |
| The easiest way to include information about where | | | | provisions about how you and the other parent will |
| the child will spend each day is to create a child | | | | handle the exchanges of the children. This includes |
| custody and visitation schedule. First, you need to | | | | information about transportation to and from |
| decide which parent the child will live with, or if the child | | | | exchanges, where exchanges will take place, the cost |
| will live with both parents. When the child lives with one | | | | of transportation, if any visits need to be supervised, |
| parent and visits the other, it is called sole physical | | | | etc. You can also add in provisions about how the |
| custody. When the child lives with both parents it is | | | | parents will handle disputes, how they will make |
| called joint physical custody. The next step is to create | | | | changes to the plan, who has access to the child's |
| the residential schedule that divides up the days of | | | | records, how often the parents can contact the child |
| custody between the parents. This is for the normal, | | | | when the child is with the other parent, etc. |
| everyday schedule. You then create a holiday | | | | Parents in Georgia who are not able to reach an |
| schedule, put in vacation time, and add special events. | | | | agreement about the plan should each file a proposed |
| You end up with a calendar that shows where the | | | | plan with the court. Each parent will have the |
| child is every day of the year. | | | | opportunity to defend and explain their plan, and the |
| The allocation of decision making authority is referred | | | | judge will determine what goes into the final plan. The |
| to as legal custody. When one parent is given | | | | judge will base the decision on what is best for the |
| complete control over decision making it is called sole | | | | child. Once a plan is accepted by the court, it is legally |
| legal custody. When both parents share the authority it | | | | binding and the parents must follow it. |