How to Communicate Child Custody Issues with Daycares and Schools

When going through child custody issues, one of the last things on a parents mind is communicating your child’s new living arrangement with their school or daycare. Most school personnel are aware that significant proportions of their students do not reside in two-parent households. Here are a few things that you need to be sure to communicate to your child’s teachers or school support staff in order to avoid any further issues.

1. Who has contact with the student during school hours

One of the most obvious points to make your child’s teachers aware of is who has access to the child during school hours. This includes explicitly spelling out who is allowed to retrieve the child from school, both as part of the child’s normal routine, and in the event that the normal person who picks the child up from school is unable to do so.

2. Who has access to the student’s school records

Only the legal guardian of a child has access to his or her school records. This includes grades, information describing the child’s behavior, standardized test scores, and the child’s admittance into free lunch and other programs. It is possible for a parent to give another party access to the child’s school records, but they must go through the appropriate paperwork in order to comply with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

3. Who can make educational decisions for the child

Finally, only the parent who has been awarded legal custody of the child is authorized to make educational decisions on the child’s behalf. This includes what schools the child will attend, as well as any other decisions associated with the proper education of the child.

Your attorney should be able to give you a full debrief of everything you need to do in order to finalize your separation and new family living arrangement. To speak with a top-rated DFW family law attorney about how to resolve any child custody issues you may have, go to KoonsFuller.com now! 

Find the Family Law Office that’s Right for You

Anyone involved in the divorce or custody process can find the experience emotionally and financially draining. To help mitigate the high cost involved with the process, it is incredibly important that you seek the help of an experienced family office law firm that will help you take the right steps to minimizing legal fees, and avoiding a long and drawn out courtroom proceeding. Here are a few tips for finding a family lawyer who is right for you.

1. Think about what you want from your attorney. The first question you need to ask is what you want your attorney to do for you. Are you most concerned with protecting yourself financially, or for maintaining a close and meaningful relationship with your children? Are you willing to experiment with alternative dispute resolution practices like mediation? Taking inventory of your current situation will help you answer all of your attorney’s questions to the best of your ability.

2. Ask for referrals. One of the best ways to find an attorney who can serve you well is through the referrals of your friends or family who have also gone through a divorce with the aid of said lawyer.

3. Ask about your attorneys experience with your type of case. Most family law attorneys will provide you with a free initial consultation. This is an opportunity for you to provide plenty of honest detail about your case, and for your attorney to relate your case to his past cases and experience. Your attorney should be able to refer to other cases he or she has worked on similar to yours, and proud to show you their past work. They should be able to provide you with a rough expectation of what to expect as your case progresses.

If you are currently going through a divorce or custody process, you can benefit from an initial consultation with one of the top family office law firms in the Dallas Metroplex. Go to KoonsFuller.com now for more information!