When your child was little and fighting over a toy with another child, did you ever tell them it is good to share? Now that you are divorcing it helps to remember that. The thought of not spending as much time as before with your child can be stressful, yet sharing will benefit you and your child.
Texas refers to custody as conservatorship and splits it into two parts. Managing conservatorship refers to your legal responsibility as parents to do things such as choosing a school or healthcare provider for your kids. Possessory conservatorship is about spending time with the child and where the child lives.
Assuming there are no exceptional circumstances, it is almost certain a court will give joint managing conservatorship. So, the only thing most parents have to worry about is possessory conservatorship.
Sharing is better for your child
Your child benefits by knowing both parents still love them and by the continuity. They also get the benefit of two different people with their respective views on things and particular abilities. For example, you take your child camping in the woods, your spouse spends time making art with them. Or you help your child with the Spanish homework and your child helps them with math.
What are the benefits for you?
Raising a child alone is hard, so why do it if you have a choice not to? You can use your separate time to rest, catch up on your business or with friends. You also get someone to share tough decisions with. While you might not feel like talking to your soon-to-be-ex right now, when your child becomes a teenager and wants to go to parties, or starts hanging around with the wrong crowd, it is nice to have someone to share those worries with.
The more civil you keep your divorce, the easier co-parenting will be. Finding out more about divorce mediation can help set you on the right path.
