A divorce can be stressful for both parties involved. However, extra pressure is thrown in when child custody is involved. In many divorces that go to court, it becomes necessary to establish visitation arrangements so each parent can see their child for comparable amounts of time.
Figuring out what arrangements are best for you and your child can be challenging. Understanding child custody law can help ease the process and ensure you see your child as much as possible. Here are some tips for handling visitation arrangements after a divorce.
Determine What Kind of Custody You Want to Pursue
Before you begin defining the terms of your visitation arrangement, you must first understand the different forms of child custody. Custody options can differ depending on your state, but it is often classified into three categories.
Joint Legal Custody
This custody arrangement is the most common as it allows both parents to remain active in their child’s life. In this custody arrangement, both parents are responsible for making significant decisions on the child’s health, education, and general welfare.
One parent will usually serve as the primary residential custodian for the child, and the other parent will be the alternate.
Sole Legal and Physical Custody
This type of child custody has one parent as the residential custodial parent. This parent makes all major decisions for the child without consulting with the other parent.
It’s typically applied when one parent is absent or unfit for legal custody due to a history of neglect, irresponsible behavior, and other unfavorable traits.
Shared Legal and Physical Custody
Many divorced parents find this form of custody popular as it provides a more even division of parenting time. This form of custody also allows greater flexibility, as most amicably divorced parents will maintain a fluid parenting schedule that changes based on individual needs. Parents usually decide on a parenting plan where custody will alternate between days or weeks.
Consider What’s Best for Your Child
When pursuing a custody arrangement as part of your divorce case, it’s essential to consider what form of custody will be best for your child. Be honest with yourself, and consider which parent would be best to serve as the residential custodian.
If your child goes to school closer to one parent, it may be best to let them live with that parent, so their school life isn’t disrupted.
Establish a Parenting Schedule
Once your custody arrangement is decided, it’s time to establish a fair parenting schedule. Most divorced parents opt for a 50/50 schedule, where the child spends the same time with each parent each week.
No matter what parenting schedule you decide on, it’s essential to write it down before the divorce is settled. This way, a judge can oversee it, and any violations of the parenting schedule can be addressed through proper legal means if necessary.
Here are some child custody battles to avoid.
