Keep in mind that shared custody plans work best when both parents have agreed upon custody decisions prior to separating.

If you don't think you'll be able to have these types of conversations moving forward, until the children are grown, shared custody may not be the right arrangement for your children.

Ultimately, being able to make major decisions like this as a team is what will make shared custody work.

Who gets the final say over major decisions in a child's life, such as when a child can start dating, or how to deal with major disciplinary matters? Are these responsibilities delegated, or will they be discussed by both parents?.If a child needs to visit the doctor, for instance, does the responsibility for that simply fall with the parent he or she is staying with at the time? Or, are both parents always involved? What about parent-teacher conferences?.Other agreements should be reached about major parenting responsibilities. Shared custody isn't just about scheduling where the children spend their days and nights. A custody plan should also consider the children's ages and school schedules.ĭecide how to divide other responsibilities.Some people find that longer periods with each parent help create a better sense of stability for the children, and choose to alternate full weeks, months, or even years.This isn't a completely even split, but works well for school aged children, who get to leave for school from the same home every day. Another arrangement is a simple Monday through Thursday/Friday through Sunday plan, in which the week is simply divided into two chunks.Then, the schedule flips: Monday and Tuesday with Dad, and so on. One common choice is the '2-2-3 plan.' In this arrangement, kids spend Monday and Tuesday with Mom, Wednesday and Thursday with Dad, Friday through Sunday with Mom.There are any number of possible arrangements. In other words, you have to decide who gets the kids when. After thinking about your children's needs, the next step is generally to determine how to divide up custody time.

Shared Custody by Peter Styles