It’s hard to believe that 2020 is almost over. But although everybody’s “year from hell” is coming to end, 2020’s new norms aren’t going anywhere. One of the most dramatic of these changes to everyday life has been work from home (WFH) arrangements. Those who were working from home found the experience to bring benefits and downsides. Many struggled with increased childcare responsibilities and a breakdown of the division between professional and family life. On the positive side, the workday proved to be shorter and more flexible without the commute. Parents could be there for their kids during daytime activities. There was more potential for helping with kids’ activities and participating in the domestic side of family life. Parenting could be more hands on, and parents were available to kids in new ways. On the downside, this often meant that work suffered and the parenting relationship was under strain.

Divorced parents in particular saw cracks in the co-parenting relationship. While married partners had to renegotiate the division of household labor, divorced parents had to deal with new questions about Covid safety, screen-time, education, homework and more. If they already had a good existing parenting arrangement, divorced parents might have been tempted to put off conversations about what wasn’t working. But as the new normal begins to affect every aspect of our lives, it becomes impossible escape a formal discussion. Reports from family lawyers reveal that co-parents who did not renegotiate their parenting agreements at the beginning of the pandemic are finding their existing arrangements inadequate and are facing roadblocks and conflict. In many cases even perfectly amicable co-parenting relationships are affected.

At BCS we are California Mediators who assist West Coast couples with busy and complex lives with getting a divorce. We specialize in drafting complex yet flexible parenting plans for those who face difficult parenting problems such as international and national relocation. We take a multi-layered approach to our divorce mediations. We can help parents cope with the more emotional and psychological aspects of co-parenting, such as child attachment and bonding as well as the practical details of education, visitation and finance.

Why You Need to Renegotiate

Parents may have been expecting to go back to the office next year, but now that work from home arrangements are dragging on, some parents may be staring into the reality of an entirely new parenting arrangement. What worked before just doesn’t cover the new reality. So how might new Work From Home arrangements affect co-parenting as a divorced parent?

• One parent may want to have more time with a child due to job loss or increased time at home.
• Many parents differ on Covid safety or have different levels of social contacts that may expose them to the virus.
• Parents with a high workload who have to look after kids and also work may suddenly be breaking parenting rules related to screen-time and play-dates etc.
• Parents who previously took care of one aspect of parenting might require a little more help with the burden of homeschooling kids or helping them with remote lessons.

At BCS we respect both parents’ contributions and can help you renegotiate your parenting agreement so you don’t have to carry on with an arrangement that no longer works for you. There’s no reason to feel resentful of your ex. When you mediate your parenting arrangement you can work together to rediscover your strengths as a parenting team and do what’s best for your kids.

Who We Are and How We Can Help

We are California mediators who are caring, well-educated and skilled in applied financial mathematics, the law psychoanalysis, and game theory. We strive to efficiently comprehend your situation and its opportunities for sustainable and agreeable resolution. This may include a review of your parenting plan, spousal support. The sooner you can resolve your conflict, the sooner you can begin to craft a sustainable future for you and your children. Our specially trained divorce mediator-accountants can also help reveal and investigate the proven financial facts of a divorce to make a full financial appraisal of your divorce and to suggest creative solutions for financial planning after divorce. Our high-level divorce mediation services are tailored to the needs of people with complex lives or divorces that may be difficult or protracted. We work with individuals from several cultures and countries, and often work with national and international child custody and relocation issues associated with divorce. We offer socially distanced remote mediations via Telephone, Zoom or Facetime. We are available 7 days a week and at urgent notice. Please contact us to see how we can help.