Joint Child Custody

Getting Child Custody-Joint Child Custody

Posted on February 6, 2008
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A divorce is hard enough without a child involved. Child custody will be brought into the courts after the divorce has been settled. The issue of where the child will live and who will be the sole guardian always makes the custody battle a very distressing time. Parents have been known to use all of the incriminating information that they can find to use against the other person. The child is put into the middle because usually both parents will try to fight for the child's love and approval.

If the judge sees that both parents are fit enough to take care of the child equally, then joint child custody will be awarded. Instead of only one parent being able to keep the child at their house, the other parent will be granted the same permission. Often, the parents are able to work together and decide when the child will go with each person. Typically, the mother keeps the child during the school week and the following weekend, while the father keeps the child every other weekend. When the child is very young in age, the court will probably require that the child see the father more often at shorter amount of time. Older children are able to go longer amounts of time without seeing one parent. If the parents are not able to come to an agreement about the custody schedule, then the judge will make a decision. Lately, many judges have been requiring the child to stay until the next Monday, instead of coming home on Sunday evening.

There are two types of joint child custody. Joint physical custody is when both parents have permission to keep the child at their house, depending on the schedule. Only one parent will be awarded permission to access important documents or to make important decisions involving the child. Joint legal custody is when both parents have an equal part in the decision making for the child. They can each access any important documents such as school or medical records. If an emergency were to occur and the child was taken to the hospital, both parents would have to come to an agreement about the medical issues that could arise.

Each judge is different, and will make a specific ruling based on the area you live and the well being of the child. In certain circumstances, both parents are granted joint legal custody, while only one parent is given the permission of joint physical custody. This usually occurs when the father is the sole provider and the mother has to stay at home with the child. Depending on the income of each parent will determine who will have to pay child support.

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