Hi, my name is Kirsten Krueger and two years ago, I was in a car accident. I was stopped at a stop sign when the driver behind me slammed into my car. Due to my injuries, I had to spend a few days in the hospital and I was unable to work for two months. My medical care was expensive and without being able to work, I couldn't pay my bills. The car accident was stressful enough and then I had to worry about how I would pay my bills. After speaking with a car accident lawyer, it wasn't long before I was compensated for my medical bills and lost wages from work. I'm writing this blog to help others who have been a car accident and haven't received any compensation. As you read my posts, you'll learn how an attorney can help you if you're in a vehicle accident.
It may seem simple enough when you and your soon-to-be-ex agree on joint custody of the children. You know that you need to have the custody arrangement legally documented with the court and that a precise schedule including holidays and school vacation days is advisable. However, people tend to have certain misconceptions about shared custody. It's best to know the way the court views various matters before you present your proposal to your lawyers.
Shared Custody Doesn't Have to Be 50/50
You and your spouse don't need to spend a lot of time making sure the custody schedule is equal if that doesn't work well. Sometimes a 50/50 schedule is cumbersome since each week has an odd number of days. It may be easier to set up a schedule in which your child is with one parent three days each week and the other parent two days, with an alternating Saturday and Sunday schedule.
One Parent May Have the Primary Residence
Even if you manage to split custody 50/50, one parent is commonly designated as having the primary residence. This is considered the child's home address for school and other purposes.
One Parent May Pay Child Support to the Other
It's a common misconception that shared custody means equal contribution to the child's financial support. However, one parent may pay support to the other if he or she earns substantially more money.
Shared Custody Addresses More Than Scheduling
Especially if your child is very young, you might not have thought about the myriad situations that can arise and decisions that must be made. For instance, someday your child may:
If your divorce is amicable, you may envision simply getting together with your ex and deciding what to do, even if it takes several sessions of serious discussion. However, these developments in your child's life may occur more than a decade from now. By then, you or your spouse may be in entirely different circumstances than you are at the moment. Opinions on various matters may have changed a great deal over the years.
Your legal custody arrangement also might include issues such as which religion the child will be raised in.
Concluding Thoughts
Talk with your family law attorney about these types of factors and how to set up a complete legal arrangement for shared custody. A review of the custody arrangement periodically is advisable as the child changes and grows, and also to address changes in parental circumstances. To learn more, contact a company like the Law Offices of Thomas J Donnelly with any questions you have.
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