If you and your spouse are divorcing and have minor children, you will have to make decisions regarding the placement of your children. Sometimes the placement will not necessarily be equal, even if you have been awarded joint physical custody or, alternatively, have been awarded visitation rights. The placement determination is guided by what is in the best interest of the children – your wishes and the children’s wishes will be heard to inform the process. Ideally, the schedule will allow for regularly occurring periods of placement and maximize the time spent with each parent. However, this may be unrealistic given the geographical distance between the parents’ homes and suitability of the physical accommodations. Parents must take the time to evaluate their availability to care for the children around work and personal schedules and what child care is available to fill the gaps when the children are in their care. Beyond spending time with each parent, the children’s relationships with other family members and people of significance – such as close friends – should weigh into the arrangement in order to maintain these important bonds. Attention should be given to the past parenting arrangement when transitioning to joint parenting to avoid abrupt upheavals, especially when young children are involved. The parents relationship with each other will often have an impact on the children’s placement. If there are problems in communication or respect, the children could be negatively impacted and, therefore, parents should make an effort to work together in the interests of the children.
If you are considering divorce and have questions regarding child custody or visitation, contact the Family Law Offices of Ronald L. Bell, PC for help.