When parents divorce, the courts often prefer that parents work together to continue raising their children. Parents who have joint custody will make many major decisions for their child’s upbringing and custody arrangements. This often means parents will live in separate homes as they share custody of their child.
Joint custody does not work for everyone. Parents may constantly argue and fight, which can be upsetting for children. Parents have other options besides joint custody. Here are a few more options:
Limiting communication with your co-parent
Co-parents often work closely together to raise their child despite being divorced. This does not work for everyone. Parents may have a divorce, for example, because of communication difficulties or conflicting parenting styles. However, many parents may still want to be involved in their child’s life. Parents can discuss an alternative to co-parenting called parallel parenting.
Parallel parenting gives parents more autonomy over how their child is raised. They can communicate through email or text and limit the number of times they see each other. This can help reduce fights.
Taking on full responsibility for your child
Co-parenting and parallel parenting do not work for some parents. A parent may not be fit to raise their child. This could happen if a parent has a substance abuse issue or is negligent, for instance. Instead of joint custody, one parent may file for sole custody. Sole custody allows a parent to take on full responsibility for their child. If awarded sole custody, the other parent may have limited or no visitation opportunities.
You want what is best for your child. Family law, however, can be difficult to understand. It can help to reach out for legal guidance as you explore your child custody options.