Joint Child Custody: Pros and Cons

Joint child custody occurs when parents share legal custody or physical custody of their child — or both. If parents share joint physical custody, the child lives with each of them, though not necessarily equally. In joint legal custody, both parents can make major decisions about the child.

Joint custody works best when parents get along well enough to create custody agreement together. You'll need to come up with a schedule that's in the best interests of the child and suits both parents. Nowadays, many courts prefer joint custody, unless it would not be good for the child.

Pros of joint custody

• Joint physical custody allows the child to spend time with each parent and each parent to be involved in their child's life.
• Parents with joint physical custody often live near enough that the child can get to school and extracurriculars from either home.
• Joint legal custody means each parent has someone to discuss decisions with, which can result in wiser decisions.
• Joint custody allows the parents to share the day-to-day responsibilities of raising their child, so neither one has to carry a heavier load.
• If the parents are able to get along, joint custody can give the child a positive example of cooperation.
• Joint custody can be less jarring than sole custody when a family is used to having two parents involved.

Cons of joint custody

• Joint custody requires a lot of coordination, communication and scheduling. It can lead to more fighting than sole custody.
• Reaching agreement on major decisions can be difficult, especially considering that the parents have enough differences that they've decided not to be in a relationship.
• With joint physical custody, the child has two homes and may have to switch from place to place more often. This can be exhausting.
• Maintaining two homes for the child can be expensive, and deciding which items stay where requires organization.
• If a parent is not fit or capable, giving them custody can have negative effects on the child and other parent.

The easiest way to make a joint parenting plan

Making a parenting plan can be overwhelming. You have to address all possible situations while using airtight legal language.

Use technology to take guesswork out of the equation. The Custody X Change app will walk you through each step of creating a plan.

You can customize this with Custody X Change.

In the end, you'll have a court-ready document that secures your child's future.

Try this with Custody X Change.

The easiest and most reliable way to make a parenting plan is with Custody X Change.