When parents of different religions divorce, reaching an agreement on their child's future religious upbringing could be complex. If you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are in disagreement over your child's future religious upbringing, here are some suggestions to guide you:

1. Lay Your Cards on the Table. Discuss your concerns regarding different religious practices before you get divorced. Religion is a highly charged emotional issue and it is best to make your expectations known as soon as possible.

2. Details Matter. Make a list of exactly what is important to you in your child's religious upbringing. This may be that your child attend religious school or attend religious services every week. It may be important to you that your child go through a particular religious rite, such as a bar or bat mitzvah or confirmation. The more details you can provide, the better.

3. Hire a Mediator. If you and your spouse cannot reach an agreement on your own, try using a mediator. Sometimes an independent third party can help you reach a compromise that you could not have reached on your own.

4. Be Mindful of Litigation Costs. Litigating a case where the custody and the religious training of children is involved is an expensive endeavor. Moreover, trial courts are unpredictable. If religion is truly an important issue to you, then you should try to resolve that issue yourself.

If you reach an agreement, make sure it is detailed. Be specific about whether your child will attend religious school, who will pay for it, and who will take your child to and from the school sessions, who takes the child to religious services, and how often your child has to attend those services. You do not want to fight in the future over details that you should have ironed out in the first place.

If you have questions concerning your child custody matter, call (201) 494-2800 to schedule a Free Consultation at the Law Office of Joseph A. DiPiazza, LLC.