One of the best types of custody to look into is joint custody. Shared, or joint, custody is normally close to equal, which means that a child spends time with both parents regularly.
Psychologically, joint custody is a major benefit to children. However, parents need to be able to handle the nature of the arrangement. They must be able to work together to decide on how to raise their children, and they need to work to reduce conflict as much as possible.
Joint physical custody often comes with joint legal custody, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, parents share physical custody but not legal custody, which means that only one parent may have the right to make decisions for their children. For the most part, courts like to see parents share the responsibility of raising their children, including making decisions about their care and futures.
If you want to have a joint custody parenting plan, it’s something to consider carefully. You and your ex-spouse will need to sit down and negotiate a custody schedule that takes into consideration your children’s needs as well as your work schedules and other responsibilities. On top of this, you should discuss what you’d like to see happen when your children are in the other party’s care. For example, do you want to have the same rules at each home? What standards will you hold your children to, and how will you enforce the other parent’s rules when the children are with you? These are all things to mull over carefully.
Your attorney can help you with a joint custody parenting plan and give you more information on custody options that are open to you.
