Loving parents have one major priority when it comes to their children. They want what is best for them. Separation and divorce make it challenging for parents to put aside their personal differences and focus on what custody schedule is in the best interest of their children. To further complicate things, since every family is different, there is not one schedule that works best for all children.
Below are some important considerations in evaluating what custody schedule would be best for a family:
- Do both parents work outside the home?
- How long are their work hours?
- How flexible is each parent’s schedule?
- Does one parent’s employment require regular overnight or extended travel?
- Is it a low-conflict or high-conflict case?
- Does a parent suffer from a substance abuse or mental health issue that impacts their care of the children, or does a parent have a history of impaired care?
- Is there any history of domestic violence between the parents?
- Have there been issues with a parent’s care of the children that could be considered child abuse or neglect?
- Can the parents effectively communicate?
- Can transitions from one parent’s house to the other parent’s house occur with minimal disruption for the child and the child’s schedule?
- Are the children in school or are the children younger than school age?
- Do any of the children have special needs?
- Did one parent do the majority of the caretaking during the marriage or did both parents contribute to caretaking responsibilities for the children?
The range of custody and visitation issues can be extensive and complex. Emotions can often get in the way of effective resolution. Achieving an optimal outcome for all parties is easier with the help of a skilled attorney.