When you meet with a child support lawyer in Suffolk County NY, it may be difficult to work through child support and custody arrangements during a divorce. Objectivity can be very hard to maintain, especially when dealing with an ex-spouse. Bruised feelings and stubbornness can often interfere with progress when working out the best custody solutions for children. While it might be tempting to seek a sole custody situation for your children, a child support lawyer in Suffolk County NY may help you understand some of the benefits to seeking joint custody with your former spouse.
First of all, it helps to understand that there is a difference between legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody simply refers to the ability to be involved with decision-making as it pertains to the children. Parents are generally awarded joint legal custody in regardless of a child’s living arrangements, unless one parent can prove that the other one is a harmful influence. Most discussions regarding joint custody refer to physical custody, which indicates the parent with whom a child is living. In many cases, one parent is awarded primary custody of children and the non-custodial parent is granted visitation rights. This situation may be necessary if the parents live, or will be living, a large distance away from each other. If parents live within the same city, however, and are not proven to be harmful to the children, a child support lawyer in Suffolk County NY may encourage a 50/50 split of child care.
While it may seem difficult to transfer children back and forth so often, joint custody can still be a good solution for many divorced families. For one thing, children get a chance to be with both parents on a regular basis. Since divorce can be very unsettling to kids, having access to both parents on an equal basis can help alleviate some insecurities. Some parents actually switch roles with the children in a joint custody situation; the children remain in a single home while each parent alternates between the home and a separate residence. This “bird’s nest” solution may not work for everyone, but it is certainly one possible option in a join custody settlement. Another benefit to joint custody is equal share in the responsibilities of child rearing. Children require a great deal of care, and joint custody arrangements can allow parents to not only shoulder equal weight in that care, but they also allow parents equal opportunities for leisure or personal time. If you and your spouse can manage an amicable post-marriage relationship, consider discussing a joint custody arrangement with your child support lawyer in Suffolk County NY to see if it can work for you.
