Coronavirus Latest: COVID-19 Pandemic Putting Strain On Families Sharing Custody Of Children
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) -- For many families, shared custody of children can be strained during the best of times. Now, the coronavirus pandemic can make those arrangements even trickier.
"Sticking your heels in the mud about support or visitation is just not going to work right now," said family law attorney Alexandra Rigden of Cooper Levenson in Cherry Hill.
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Rigden says communication and collaboration are two keys while co-parenting during COVID-19.
"People should be following the court order, all things being equal. Some people just aren't and the best way to go about handling this is to work together with your co-parent and come up with a solution," Rigden explained.
Child support and alimony for a parent who has lost their job may require a more delicate touch.
And while courts are working remotely and are backlogged, finding a solution between parents may be better than waiting for a court date months away while payments pile up.
"What can we do about this in the interim? Maybe pay less up front and make it up in the back end. Maybe you abate it until another time," Rigden said.
Don't be afraid to have honest, rational conversations about where you've been. Have you been working from home? Can you work from home? And reinforcing CDC guidelines to ensure no one in either home will get sick.
"If there is any time to try to work together it's now, during an unprecedented pandemic we haven't seen in our lifetime," Rigden said.
