Divorce courts are a lot more open to joint physical custody arrangements than they once were. The world has moved on from a time when many assumed that only a mother could take care of children. Most people now accept that fathers can also be very capable around the house and in raising their children.
Here are some reasons to consider joint physical custody, where the children spend time living between two houses rather than only living with one parent and only seeing their other parent during agreed visits:
1. It can be better for your children
Custody decisions need to be about doing what is in the children’s best interests. Drastically cutting the time they spend with one parent will clearly have an effect, so unless there are safety reasons not to split things more evenly, joint custody can help maintain the status quo.
Daytime visits are never going to be the same as spending the night. They miss out on special moments, such as reading a bedtime story or having a lazy Sunday breakfast together.
2. It can be better for you
Why be a single parent if you don’t have to be? It’s a lot of hard work and can leave you little time or energy to do much else. Taking turns allows both parents time to recover and focus on other things.
3. It can be better for your co-parenting relationship
Problems often occur between divorced couples when one feels the other got the better deal. That is less likely when both feel they got a fair custody deal. Consider legal help to find out more about custody options in your divorce.
