Sometimes, it can be hard for parents to figure out what a fair custody agreement would be. On paper, it might make sense to have one person have physical custody of your children more often, but is that actually fair? What’s good for you may not be good for the other parent, or what you both want may not necessarily be the best choice for your child.
A fair custody agreement is one that works best for your child. That means that you and the other parent have to put your own emotions aside and think about what would be beneficial for your child’s health and comfort.
For example, you might have two options. The first could be dividing your child’s time by the half-week, approximately spending three days at one home, four at another, four at the first home and then three at the other. This is technically fair, dividing your child’s time 50-50.
Another option could be to have one parent have custody through the school week and the other have custody on the weekend. This might seem unfair to one parent upon first glance, but it could be more beneficial for your child. Your child would not need to worry about moving their school supplies from one home to the other or switching locations during a busy school week.
Custody matters can change over time
Keep in mind that your custody arrangements can change over time, allowing you to make decisions that benefit your child now and to allow the physical custody arrangements to evolve as they grow.
A fair custody agreement takes into consideration everyone’s feelings and concerns, then comes up with a schedule that is best for your child. Both parents should be open to communication about what is or is not working, too, so the schedule can be adapted or adjusted whenever that needs to happen.
Everyone who goes through divorce has challenges. If you have children, yours might be to work out a fair, flexible custody agreement. This is something to approach from the angle of what’s best for your child, which may help you and your ex-spouse come to a reasonable solution.