Divorce can be a trying time for anyone, but it is especially tough when there are children involved. With all of the emotional trauma and stress involved it can be very difficult for parents to keep in mind what is best for their children. Their young lives are changing dramatically as their parents are parting ways. To a youngster, this can be terrifying, and sure to be fraught with feelings of abandonment and anxiety. When you have child custody issues, you may be unsure how to navigate the situation in order to give your child the most painless transition possible. Here is some information to help you out.
When a couple with children files for divorce, a temporary custody arrangement is usually put in place for convenience before the divorce is finalized. If the two parents can come to an agreement and cooperate to carefully construct a parenting plan for managing the transition, the courts usually do not even have to intervene. For this reason it is usually in your best interest for you and your spouse to put your children’s needs first in order to gain a custody situation that is most beneficial for their healthy development, both physically and emotionally.christian family counseling
In fact there are many types of custody arrangements the courts can institute, or the parents can institute willingly, to suit everyone involved. Joint physical custody, the most common type, and the most highly recommended among child psychologists, is often referred to as shared parenting. In this arrangement the child or children spend a reasonable amount of time with both parents. While the details vary with each parent’s career, location, and willingness, this allows both parents to remain involved with their child’s life.
Sole legal custody on the other hand is where one parent is granted the right to make all of the decisions regarding the child’s healthcare, education, religious affiliations, and basically. Sole custody will be granted based on a parent’s ability to give the child access to the best possible resources for proper, healthy development. In the past, there was a legal precedent that gave custody to the mother, as she stereotypically has more time and inclination for caring, however that is not the case today.
A custody battle, as they are infamously known is when parents cannot agree on the child’s upbringing, or the custody arrangement. This is often an incredibly stressful event for children, as they can feel like they are caught directly in the middle of your conflict with your former spouse. Before turning custody decisions over to the courts, ask yourself why you want to begin a custody battle. If you are fighting to give your child the best opportunities and the best chances for an emotionally stable upbringing, and your ex-spouse will pose as a detriment to that, then fighting may make sense.
However, allowing custody decisions to go to litigation is rarely in the best interests of the child. In fact, most child psychologists believe that children whose parents stayed together despite a dysfunctional relationship, in general experienced a more stable upbringing than those whose parents separated. If you can put aside your differences and cooperate with your spouse and each others attorneys, you will be going a long way to securing a custody agreement and parenting plan that is in the best interest of not only your child, but everyone involved.