How will the cornovirus impact families post separation? How can families manage and co-parent during these unprecedented times? Here are some practical tips to get you through.
- Term time or holiday time?
- For those families that have parenting orders or a parenting plan, many will be confused about who the children should be with if they are home from school. The Victoria Government has just announced a change to the gazetted school holidays. These term holidays will commence 3:30pm TODAY 23 March and conclude 9am Wednesday 15 April. Outside of those dates is considered “Term time” regardless if your children are attending school or not. Please check the Department of Education website regularly.
- Should I keep the kids at home?
- Many are now grappling with the decision about whether or not to keep the children home from school. Advice is changing daily. Ideally, whether or not the children should attend school is a decision that should be made jointly with your co-parent. Many have parenting orders which stipulate that the parents must ensure the children attend school. If the school is closed, the decision is made for you. If the school is open, try to stay compliant with orders as much as possible. If you need legal advice regarding your specific situation, give us a call for a free chat.
- Communication
- At Family Law Life, we are encouraging our clients to communicate with their co-parent to come to arrangements that are in the best interests of the children- whatever that may be. Some parents will be home from work and other parents will need to work additional hours. Now is the time to try to openly communicate with your co-parent and be creative about how you can support yourselves, each other and your children through this difficult time. It is important to also be completely transparent with your co-parent about any possible exposure to the virus.
- Stay Calm
- Our children need us to stay calm. By all means, be honest with your children about the seriousness of the virus, but ensure you convey to them that with time things will return to normal and their lives will return to normal routine. Be mindful of leaving the news on 24/7 and children overhearing conversations which might frighten them.
- Ask for help.
- We can’t stress this enough. Ask for help.
- If you or your children present with symptoms, call your GP, most are offering free call backs.
- If you are experiencing family violence, do not hesitate to call the police.
- If you are experiencing financial strain, speak to your co-parent, this is the time to be generous. Speak to Centrelink. Speak with your employer. Speak with your landlord. Speak with your bank.
- This is not the time for pride. This is a time to ask for help.
We are committed to helping the community through this difficult time. We are offering free 15-minute telephone calls for anyone who wants some legal advice in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Book through calendly- https://calendly.com/familylawlife/freechat
