One of the most challenging parts of divorce is splitting custody of your child, as you may feel heartbroken when it’s time for your ex-spouse to have custody. While parents need to follow the joint custody arrangements ordered by the court, it’s not uncommon for issues to arise regarding custody. If you are co-parenting and find yourself facing problems with your ex-spouse, you’ll want to connect with a Somerset County family law attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options. The following blog explores what you should know about these issues.
What Are Joint Custody Arrangements?
When talking about child custody, there are two forms – physical and legal custody. Physical custody refers to where the child will spend their time, while legal custody determines which parents have the right to make decisions on behalf of the child.
Generally, courts will order joint physical and legal custody of the child, which grants both parents the right to care and make decisions for the child. This allows both parents to have an equal voice when it comes to determining medical care, schooling, and other important matters regarding the child and allows both parents to receive true, 50/50 custody of the child.
What Problems Can Co-Parenting Cause?
When two parents divorce or are no longer together, they may do their best to set aside their differences and personal feelings to focus on maintaining a civil relationship for the sake of their child. However, this may not always happen, and disagreements and conflicts may arise as a result.
Generally, one of the most common issues to arise from a joint custody arrangement surrounds communication between the parents. Again, as there may be hard feelings, one parent may not communicate well or at all. For example, failing to respond to questions about the child, constantly berating or picking on the other parent, failing to inform the other parent about upcoming appointments, and speaking negatively about the other parent in front of the child can cause several issues and tension in the family dynamic.
Additionally, a lack of consistency in the homes can be a source of issues for many families with a joint custody arrangement. Both parents may have different lifestyles, which can be confusing for the child and hard for the other parent to handle. This includes differences in discipline, diet, parenting styles, and more. As such, it’s important to work together with your child’s other parent to create as much consistency as possible, as this will help benefit your child in the long run.
As you can see, issues can arise when in a joint custody arrangement, so ensuring you do everything possible to prioritize the best interest of your child is critical. At the Siragusa Law Firm, we understand how complex these matters can be, which is why we are dedicated to doing everything possible to help you through these challenging times. We can work with you to help create a parenting arrangement that focuses on your child and help enforce it if your ex-spouse does not cooperate. Contact us today to discuss the circumstances of your custody case.
