Divorcing parents of a child will need to make certain arrangements for the care of their child. The family courts take a keen interest in the welfare of children under the age of 18 and particularly if that child's parents are divorcing. The sooner you make the parenting plan decision the better it will be since that is not an issue you want to deal with in court. It will probably come down to the two main ways to parent after a divorce. Read on to learn more so that you and your spouse can agree on what's best for you and your child.
Joint Custody Plan
While the name "joint" implies something else, this type of parenting plan puts just one parent in charge of the physical custody of the child. There is a difference, however, between legal custody and physical or primary custody. In the case of joint custody, the legal custody is divided between the two parents and this is really where the name "joint" comes from.
How does joint custody work? The primary physical custody lies with one parent and the other parent agrees to follow a visitation plan. The legal responsibility means that both parents are expected to work together to make the major decisions that might affect the child. Often this means that issues like discipline, religious matters, education, medical issues and more are to be resolved by both parents working together.
This type of custody may work well with young children who may not cope as well with being shuttled back and forth for shared custody. The child also benefits from staying in the same neighborhood as before, if that is possible. In fact, judges take into consideration the parent that is awarded the family home when making custody decisions.
Shared Custody Plan
This parenting plan is also known as 50/50 parenting and that explains the way custody is divided. It may not be possible to divide a parent's time exactly 50/50, but the idea is to provide the child with approximately 50% of each parent's time during the day, the week or the month. Naturally, spending time with both parents in equal amounts benefits the child and can lessen the impact of the divorce.
The downside of this plan is that the child will have to live in two separate homes and the parents will need to be very organized in dealing with the potential for chaos. While older children may do well this plan, the full schedule of busy preteens and teens will make it a challenge to plan time out with both parents.
No matter what parenting plan you choose, talk it over with your child custody attorney before you make the final decision.
