The COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous changes in most aspects of everyday life, including how children attend school. As many schools throughout the Bay Area transitioned to online learning at the beginning of the pandemic, many parents struggled to juggle helping their children learn, performing their job duties, and handling the stress caused by the pandemic. While many parents found the shift to remote school to be challenging, divorced parents faced additional difficulties and were left wondering how they could help their children with online learning. If you have questions regarding online learning in joint custody situations specifically or child custody in general, it is smart to speak to a knowledgeable California child custody lawyer to evaluate your options.
Modifying Custody Arrangements to Assist with Learning
Many divorced parents who share custody of a child find themselves in a situation where one parent is able to sit at home and monitor the child’s learning while the other parent is not. In some instances, a parent’s new spouse may be able to assist the child. In such instances, the parents may wish to enter into a verbal agreement where the at-home parent has physical custody of the child during the weekdays for the purpose of assisting the child with school.
While it may be tempting to enter into such agreements, it can have unintended implications for each parent’s custody rights. When parents disregard their child custody or visitation orders to allow one parent greater access to the child, it can harm the other parent’s custody rights. This is especially true if the parent with increased access subsequently requests a custody modification. As such, it is smart for anyone who is considering entering into such a verbal agreement with their co-parent with regard to schooling to contact a family law attorney.
Joining Learning Co-Ops
Many parents are reluctant to allow their co-parent increased access to the child or otherwise modify their custody arrangement but are also unable to assist their children with online learning. Some parents faced with such issues have formed groups in their neighborhoods, where the children will convene in one of the parent’s homes each day, and that parent will supervise the children’s learning. While this may be a practical solution for many parents, divorced parents may have to clear the decision with their ex-spouses. This is especially true in cases in which the parents share legal custody of the child, or the other parent has the right to make decisions regarding the child’s education.
Consult a Capable California Child Custody Attorney
Remote learning is difficult for both parents and children, and parents that share custody of their children often encounter additional hurdles with regard to online school. If you have joint custody and have questions regarding how you can assist your child with learning online and how your efforts may impact your custody rights, it is smart to consult an attorney as soon as possible. The skilled child custody attorneys at the Bay Area Family Law Center can assess your circumstances and advise you of your options for protecting your parental rights. You can contact us at 925-258-2020 or via the form online to set up a conference.
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