When a family is going through a divorce, many do not want to discuss their private lives outside of their immediate family and friends. However, when there are school-aged children involved it may be in your child’s best interest to let his or her teacher know what is happening at home so they can provide needed support and understanding in the classroom.
If a teacher is unaware of the situation at home, they may misinterpret negative behaviors a child exhibits, possibly making a child’s adjustment to new realities more difficult, especially if they start to get into trouble at school. Just basic need to know details will help teachers support your child at school.
Often times, the court will issue temporary orders while a divorce case is pending to establish decision making authority – known as parental responsibility – and orders that deal with child custody and visitation, referred to as parenting time in Illinois.
It may be that only one parent is allowed to pick up a child from school, consent to extracurricular activities, or remove a child from school for a doctor’s appointment while the case is pending. Other times, both parents will share in the decision making activities and share parenting time equally until the case is resolved.
Whatever the plan is, the school administrative offices need to be made aware of any orders and have the necessary documentation so that they can comply with them. This will protect your child against any attempts to circumvent the order which sometimes happens if the other parent feels they are unfair.
When the divorce is finalized, it may be that some of the parenting responsibilities and parenting time provisions will change so be sure to update the school with any pertinent information and documentation.
If you are considering divorce and have questions regarding parenting responsibility as it relates to your child’s education, contact the Libertyville family law offices of Schlesinger & Strauss LLC at 847-680-4970.
