Patricia Joan Chvatal

I had no knowledge of divorce proceedings and what to expect. Even though I was against getting a divorce, my divorce was non combative and non confrontational. However, I was set up with the worst parenting plan, and divorce decree imaginable. Of course I didn't find out until it was too late. Fo...r example, I was literally advised against 50%-50% shared custody that my X and I agreed to. Instead, Pat Chvatal set me up with 50%-50% shared visitation, and told me it was the same thing. Unfortunately, I believed her since I was paying her to advise me. In addition, to the parenting plan, medical premium credits in the child support worksheet were not given. For as easy as my divorce was there should never have been such poor service. Her services ended up costing me more than it should have (thousands $$- years down the road), and less time with my children. My advice is to trust yourself, and not your attorney. Your attorney does not know what is best for your children. If you love your children get 50/50 shared custody, and not 50/50 visitation or even joint custody (there is a difference). Be active in your children's lives, go to parent teach conferences, school events, med,dent, and optical appointments, sports events, dinner events, vacations etc., and document everything you do in a journal. 50/50 shared custody is the best and healthiest custody agreement for children as well as dealing with the X. There is tons of documentation supporting this.