Our Services | Co-Parenting Agreements
Protecting Modern Families Through Clear Co-Parenting Agreements
Today’s families are beautifully diverse — sometimes made up of couples, friends, or individuals who choose to share in the joy and responsibility of raising a child together.
At Tarnoff Family Formation, we help co-parents create customized legal agreements that clearly define each person’s role, rights, and responsibilities. Whether you’re planning to co-parent with a friend or an unmarried partner, our goal is to give your family clarity, stability, and peace of mind for the future.
Why a Co-Parenting Agreement Matters
A well-crafted co-parenting agreement helps prevent misunderstandings and protects all parties involved — especially the child. It provides a roadmap for decision-making, finances, and communication, and ensures everyone understands their commitments from the start.
The agreement also addresses the disposition of co-owned embryos:
How many children do you wish to have?
What will be done with unused embryos?
Who is responsible for storage fees?
What happens to the embryos in the event of separation?
No matter your family structure, we help you define an arrangement that reflects your values and protects your child’s best interests.
Understanding the legal process
Each co-parenting relationship is unique, but most agreements follow a similar structure.
1. Discovery & Discussion
We begin by learning about your parenting plan, intentions, and goals. This includes open discussions around how decisions will be made, custody and parenting time, and how expenses will be shared/divided.
2. Drafting the Agreement
Based on your discussions, we prepare a customized co-parenting agreement that outlines rights and responsibilities in clear, easy-to-understand terms. You’ll have the opportunity to review every section and ask questions throughout the process.
3. Finalization and Legal Clearance
Once all parties are comfortable with the terms, we finalize the agreement and the parties sign. We make sure the document reflects your shared understanding and is enforceable under California law. Subsequently, we send legal clearance to your IVF clinic, enabling the fertility treatment to move forward.
Decision-making authority: How major choices about health, education, and religion will be made
Residence & parenting time: Where the child will live and how time will be shared
Financial responsibilities: How expenses such as childcare, education, and health care will be divided
Communication & dispute resolution: How parents will stay in contact and resolve disagreements
Future changes: What happens if one parent moves, remarries, or circumstances evolve
Key Topics We Help You Navigate
Every co-parenting relationship looks different. We guide conversations around:
Our approach is:
-
Compassionate
we honor the emotional side of the process
-
Educational
less legal jargon, less confusion
-
Efficient
proactive communication to avoid delays
-
Protective
contracts and filings designed to safeguard everyone involved