Some men in Omaha who have gone through a custody or parenting time matter in family law court or who are contemplating having to do so may have heard of the Nebraska Parenting Act. This law governs all sorts of custody and parenting time proceedings and is relatively unique when compared with the laws of other states.
Basically, Nebraska law requires parents of children who are undergoing custody and parenting time litigation to submit a specific parenting plan to the court for approval. They may try to negotiate this plan themselves or seek out the help of a mediator. If efforts at negotiation fail or are not possible in a given case, the court will then draft the plan. However, Nebraska has no default parenting time or visitation guidelines that apply to the typical case, as in the mind of Nebraska’s lawmakers, every custody and parenting time case is too unique to be shoehorned in to standardized rules.
A parenting plan must address specific topics that are set out in Nebraska’s laws. For example, the plan must provide a detailed parenting time schedule, which must address special occasions like holidays and vacations. The plan must also set out how parents will trade off the children and how they will make certain parenting decisions.
The parenting plan must include other provisions as well, including those that address what happens when one of the parents relocates. The plan also should include a process through which the parents will resolve any future conflicts about the plan.
The Parenting Act also requires parents to attend compulsory classes about how their mutual cooperation, or lack thereof, can affect their children. Likewise, courts have the authority to set up mediation programs to help parents resolve their disputes.
An Omaha man in a custody or parenting time dispute is going to need to follow the terms of the Parenting Act. They may wish to have the help of an experienced family law attorney in both following this law and protecting a father’s rights in the process.