Choosing The Perfect Counsel

If you are divorcing parents, a major part of your divorce agreement will consist of matters dealing with any minor children. The family law courts take the well-being of young people in a divorce situation very seriously, so you should not ignore what might be an emotional and potentially divisive issue. There are two basic ways to divide the caregiving duties for a divorcing couple, so read on to learn more.

50/50 or Shared Parenting Plans

While an exact 50% share of time with a child may not be possible, this parenting plan does attempt to make things somewhat even for both parents. The way the split is accomplished calls for a great deal of planning and organization, however. With this plan, one parent has physical custody of the child for approximately half of the time, such as a week, and the other parent takes over when it's their turn to parent. Naturally, this sort of plan provides the children of divorce an opportunity to spend time with both parents and this division might help children deal with the separation aspect of divorcing parents a bit better.

If you use this plan, however, keep in mind that the logistics needed to pull off this situation are considerable. Often, children must keep a set of clothing and toys in both parent's homes and the parents must be super-organized when attending to the child's schedule. For example, the parents may need to use a shared calendaring system to communicate school projects, sports practices, social obligations, and more.

Joint Parenting Plans

It's easy to see why this form of parenting is frequently confused with shared parenting. The word "joint" here just refers to a shortcut version of the actual legal term, which is "joint legal custody with sole physical custody". This form of parenting after a divorce is probably the most well-known and often-used. Here, one parent acts as the custodian of the child for most of the time and the other parent uses visitation to spend time with the child. Unless the non-custodial parent is found to be unfit, both parents share equal legal responsibility for the child and the visitation plan is created by the parents. Important decisions about the care of the child should still be made by both parents, regardless of where the child primarily resides. Having one primary residence for a child can help them feel more secure and works especially well for younger children.

Regardless of the parenting plan you choose, talk it over with your family law attorney before you make a decision.