Texans know that divorces can get messy, and one of the most contentious decisions is child custody. Each parent wants what is best for his or her child, and often, these opinions vary between spouses. There are occasional times, however, that the relationship between two divorcing parents is still strong enough to allow for shared or joint custody.
Commonly, child custody is determined by the courts, and one parent will obtain physical custody, while the non-custodial parent will have visitation rights. This means that at certain times, determined by the courts at the time of the child custody agreement, the non-custodial parent will spend quality time with his or her child.
Many say that having a child spent a majority of their time in one home is beneficial. But, there are others who believe that sharing time in a nearly equal manner can help maintain the positive and healthy relationship of the child with each parent.
For the courts to even consider joint or shared custody though, both parents must show that their relationship is still healthy or “professional” enough that the two can work together. This is done because joint or shared custody requires coordinating schedules and working within each’s timeframe.
As we have stressed before, the courts’ primary objective is to make certain that the best interests of the children are met. If this can be accomplished through a joint custody, great. If there are too many complications and issues apparent between the two divorcing spouses though, more often than not, child custody will be given to one parent.
Source: FindLaw.com, “Shared Parenting vs. Sole Custody,” accessed on May 2, 2017
