The State Bar Association of North Dakota Spring 2013 Gavel Magazine | Page 22

FAMILY LAW A Look at Montana and Florida Model Parenting Guidelines, by TaLisa Nemic, Attorney To suggest a topic for future articles or contribute an article, contact Sarah Barron, Chair, SBAND Family Law Section Gavel Committee, at [email protected] Incidents of parenting and the rights associated therewith are premised on long standing constitutional protections and responsibilities that unmarried parents or divorcing parents must allocate.1 In North Dakota, parental responsibility, decision making authority, and parenting time are statutorily defined2 and allocation thereof must be considered in the “best interest” of the child.3 Best interest is determined by taking into consideration statutorily enumerated factors under Section 14-09-06.2 of the North Dakota Century Code.4 One of those best interest factors requires consideration of “[t] he child’s developmental needs and the ability of each parent to meet those needs, both in the present and in the future.”5 For parents, attorneys and judges drafting parenting plans, little guidance is available in North Dakota, in consideration of needs unique to infants and pre-school age children. Infants are particularly sensitive to the stressors and tensions of the adults and caretakers prevalent in their lives. While they have little understanding of the incidents of divorce and or unmarried parents, those stressors impact their overall attachment and trust to their world. Pre-School age children are in the development stage where disruptions in their attachments may produce withdrawal, moodiness, fear or other psychological detriments. Consistency and reliability is paramount in the healthy development of the child, by pre-school age, some children may experience anxieties related to separation, resulting in sleep disturbances, anger and even depression. ?5????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????9?????????e????????????????????????]?????5??????e???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????5?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????9??????????U??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????q???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t??Q????????????????????q?????????????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t????5??????e??????????9????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????q%?????? ??????M???5????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????=????????????????????????????Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q?????????e?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q???????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????%??????M????????5?????A?????????????????????????????????????????=????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q????????????????????????????????????????????????????????M????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q??????????????5????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????1??????????????????????????????????????????M????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????q??????t???????q???????t???????qM????t?]??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e????????????????????????????Q????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????M????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q??????????????????????????????????????????????A?????????Q?????????e????=????Q?????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????=???????????????????M??????????????M???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e???????????????????????????????????????????Q???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????%??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t??Q??????????????? ????)??????????????() MP?%9QIMP? =9M%IQ%=9L??%99P?9?AI?M !==0?? !%1I8((??()Q???????M?????????((0