With divorce or separation, your child suffers deeply in losing parents.
What makes it especially difficult is when parents disagree as to how their child's life should be lived or time should be spent.
Making an effective child custody arrangement can help ease the tension, settle disagreements between parents and ultimately be best for your child.
Creating a fair child custody arrangement will benefit your child, yourself and your child's other parent.
In order to make a fair and effective custody arrangement, consider the following things:

• your child's schedule, including doctor and dental appointments, school outings and extracurricular activities, social gatherings and other important events;
• your schedule and the schedule of your child's other parent;
• your child's medical, educational and any special needs;
• which parent is responsible for your child's primary care and residence;
• possible holiday and vacation visitation schedules; and
• which type(s) of custody are involved (i.
  e.
  legal, physical, sole, joint).
  

Treat your custody arrangement with care and love, just as you would treat your child.
Keeping your child's best interests in mind while making an agreement is most important.
There are many reasons for creating an effective custody arrangement.
They may include:

• making custody hearings quicker and more effective;
• equally and fairly splitting parental responsibilities;
• avoiding future disagreements between parents;
• having back-up plans for your child's activities and other events; and
• having a set plan in place for your child's visitation so confusion is reduced.
  

An effective child custody arrangement decreases confusion and allows parents to care for their child more effectively than if no agreement had been reached.
Your child deserves both parents' love, affection and care equally and custody arrangements are much easier way to achieve goals of parental care and responsibility.
Your child will be affected by a divorce or separation.
A custody agreement can lessen the pain and negative emotions your child feels toward you, his or her other parent and the situation itself.
Decrease the anxiety, pain and negativity with a custody agreement that benefits all parties involved.
Show your family how much you care about them and their welfare by creating an agreement that fairly and equally involves each parent.
Custody agreements are an excellent resource for parents, children, mediators and judges to determine how the best situation may be reached to parental care, rights and responsibilities.
Use your custody agreement always so there is less confusion and more effective parenting.