Preparing Your Custody Schedule For Bad Weather In Louisiana

When unexpected weather disrupts your daily life, your home isn’t the only thing at risk. Custody schedules for divorced parents are often temporarily altered in extreme cases of weather due to home displacement, school shutdowns, and blocked communication. If you share custody of your child, it’s important to think about how severe weather can impact your parenting schedule. Preparing your custody plan before any bad storms threaten can help protect your family, reduce stress, and provide peace of mind during uncertain times.

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Emergency Plans for Inclement Weather

When inclement weather or other emergencies disrupt daily life, having a plan in place can make all the difference. Creating an emergency communication and custody plan gives both parents a clear set of expectations to follow if normal custody arrangements cannot be maintained.

Under Louisiana law, parents who share custody should:

• Maintain continuous communication regarding the safe evacuation of the child, if necessary.
• Keep each other informed of the location of the child during and after the emergency or disaster.
• Plan an interim custody plan for the child until the original custody schedule can be resumed.

Sticking to your normal custody schedule during a storm may not always be possible. Planning ahead allows both parents to focus on what matters most: keeping their child safe.

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Staying Prepared

Creating an emergency plan isn’t the only way to prepare for extreme weather. As a parent, you can also stay ready by taking certain precautions for your child before a natural disaster hits. Some ways to prep your child for safety are:

Preemptively packing a bag with all relevant documentation, including:

Copies of court orders or your custody agreements
Your child’s birth certificate, Social Security card, and health insurance card
Any additional contact information for both parents, the child’s school, doctors, and emergency contacts
At least a month’s supply of any necessary prescribed medications

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Identifying backup plans by:

Reaching out to trusted family members or friends who could assist during an emergency.
Discussing where your child will stay in case of evacuation or changed living arrangements.
Planning for how school closures and schedule changes might affect parenting time.

Having an emergency custody plan in place allows you to prepare for circumstances such as flooding, storm damage, ongoing power outages, and mandatory evacuations with greater confidence and clarity.

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Building Your Plan One Step At A Time

Oriol Law Firm understands how overwhelming severe storm or hurricane recovery can be for Northshore residents, even without the stress of planning for custody arrangements. That’s why our team is here to help guide you through the process of building an emergency custody plan that safeguards your child’s best interests.

Our attorneys are experienced at reflecting your family’s unique needs in your emergency plan, because every family is different. We work with you so that you can protect custody agreements through severe weather events with as little disruption as possible.

Reach out to our team for a consultation to start or update your custody plan today.

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