When it comes to custody of your kids there are no quick or easy decisions. Plus, it takes time for parents to learn how to co-parent with each other and address new issues that they haven’t previously navigated.
Very often parents have joint legal custody. This means that both parents are able to make legal, educational, religious and medical decisions for the children, and that they should work together to do so. They can also access records and attend any meetings for the kids, as necessary. Outside of legal custody (decision making), there is also physical custody which is basically what it sounds like-where do the children reside?
Joint legal custody requires a lot of communication. While you don’t have to run day-to-day decisions/activities by your co-parent, you do, often, need to have big discussions with them (for example-Should the child switch schools? Do they really need braces?) Making it work can seem like a large task, especially if you don’t always see eye to eye on everything. If a parent has sole legal custody, then he or she can make any and all decisions for the minor child(ren). While it is certainly courteous to let the other parent know about these decisions, it isn’t actually required.
As far as physical custody is concerned, there are situations where one parent has primary physical custody and the other parent has “visitation,” or parenting time, and then there are shared parenting plans, which can really vary based upon a variety of factors.
Attorneys Wolf and Shore have helped hundreds of clients navigate their custody matters, and can help you facilitate a parenting plan that’s best for your children. Wolf & Shore Law Group can also help you when it comes to communicating and working effectively with your co-parent. Our office can even refer you to a co-parenting counselor if you need one.
If you are having trouble making your current custody arrangement work, or even if you are contemplating starting a custody matter, contact Wolf & Shore Law Group for a confidential consultation today! We can be reached here, at 203.745.3151, or at info@wolfandshorelaw.com. You can schedule a call back from our Client Intake Specialist here.