A notarized child custody agreement is a contract between you and your former partner that directly discusses how you will co-parent your minor children. Here at Culbertson & Associates in Greensboro and Asheboro, North Carolina, we can help you craft your child custody agreement in your ongoing child custody proceeding.
A notarized child custody agreement is not enforceable by a court. A signed and notarized child custody agreement is enforceable as a contract between the parents, but the court will not enforce the agreement until it is incorporated into a court order. The law in North Carolina is clear that courts are not bound by contracts regarding agreements in co-parenting. However, if you currently have a notarized child custody agreement in place that has not been incorporated into a court order, it is not useless. A court can use that agreement as evidence in future proceedings of the parents following the agreement if there are problems that arise when one parent decides not to follow the agreement anymore. Additionally, these notarized child custody agreements are often honored by school systems and are useful for other purposes such as providing medical care and insurance for the minor children.