If you're divorcing your spouse and you have children with him or her, you may feel as though the children are better off permanently residing with you.
If you and your spouse aren't in agreement with this situation, it's important that you understand just what joint custody is and what it entails.
It is in the best interest of the children to spend at least almost an equal time with both parents.
Here is some more information to help you in understanding joint custody.
Joint Legal Custody Joint legal custody allows both parents to be responsible for the child and making decisions for the health, schooling and other important aspects of the child's life.
The judge has probably ordered that the child lives part of the time at one parent's house (such as during the school year) and the other part of the time at the other parent's house.
This might be during the summer.
Typically, this is the most common type of custody decision that is made by a judge.
Unless a parent is found unfit or dangerous to the child, judges understand that children need to spend time and connect with both parents in order to be happy and healthy.
This is an ideal situation for both of the parents as well as the child.
Joint Physical Custody This kind of custody usually has the child or children living with one parent part of the time and another parent the rest of the time as well.
However, with this kind of custody, the parent that the child resides with at the time will be responsible for the decisions made regarding the child's well being, schooling, medical care, etc.
In some cases, a strange type of joint physical custody is ordered where the children stay in the same home and the parents come in and out.
This is rare, but it does happen in some cases.
At any time when one parent is the 'residing' parent, the other parent may not take the child without permission.
If he or she does so, there are legal consequences they may have to face, including kidnapping charges.
This type of custody is not granted as often as joint legal custody but works well with some families - depending upon the situation and variables involved.
The best kind of custody allows the children to see both parents and connect with both parents.
Typically, if the child can rotate from week to week or month to month, it is more ideal than longer periods of time.
For instance, some judges order a child to spend the school year with one parent and the summer and holidays with another parent.
Again, it is dependent upon the circumstances, the judge who orders the custody arrangement and the parents.
Using the information above, you will be more knowledgeable about the kind of child custody arrangement you would like to pursue for your own case.
In any case, the welfare and wellbeing of the child will be taken into consideration first - which is how it should be.
If you and your spouse aren't in agreement with this situation, it's important that you understand just what joint custody is and what it entails.
It is in the best interest of the children to spend at least almost an equal time with both parents.
Here is some more information to help you in understanding joint custody.
Joint Legal Custody Joint legal custody allows both parents to be responsible for the child and making decisions for the health, schooling and other important aspects of the child's life.
The judge has probably ordered that the child lives part of the time at one parent's house (such as during the school year) and the other part of the time at the other parent's house.
This might be during the summer.
Typically, this is the most common type of custody decision that is made by a judge.
Unless a parent is found unfit or dangerous to the child, judges understand that children need to spend time and connect with both parents in order to be happy and healthy.
This is an ideal situation for both of the parents as well as the child.
Joint Physical Custody This kind of custody usually has the child or children living with one parent part of the time and another parent the rest of the time as well.
However, with this kind of custody, the parent that the child resides with at the time will be responsible for the decisions made regarding the child's well being, schooling, medical care, etc.
In some cases, a strange type of joint physical custody is ordered where the children stay in the same home and the parents come in and out.
This is rare, but it does happen in some cases.
At any time when one parent is the 'residing' parent, the other parent may not take the child without permission.
If he or she does so, there are legal consequences they may have to face, including kidnapping charges.
This type of custody is not granted as often as joint legal custody but works well with some families - depending upon the situation and variables involved.
The best kind of custody allows the children to see both parents and connect with both parents.
Typically, if the child can rotate from week to week or month to month, it is more ideal than longer periods of time.
For instance, some judges order a child to spend the school year with one parent and the summer and holidays with another parent.
Again, it is dependent upon the circumstances, the judge who orders the custody arrangement and the parents.
Using the information above, you will be more knowledgeable about the kind of child custody arrangement you would like to pursue for your own case.
In any case, the welfare and wellbeing of the child will be taken into consideration first - which is how it should be.
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