There are many advantages to a shared custody arrangement, either through a divorce case, or through a custody or paternity case for parents who are not married.  Regardless of the exact situation, if a custody and parenting time arrangement needs to be worked out, there are some things you should know and many things to consider.

There are some definite advantages to a shared custody arrangement, according to Divorce Magazine.com, “Shared Parenting Pros and Cons,” By Donald A. Gordon and Jack Arbuthnot (Ph.D.), July 20, 2014.  

Of course, a shared custody plan is the right thing for the right families, and is not for everyone.  According to the article, shared parenting allows the children to maintain regular contact with both parents, which has many benefits.  Shared parenting can also help to reduce conflict between the parents, and can help to reduce day care need and expenses.  Child support is an additional concern, as a shared custody arrangement will reduce the amount of child support to be paid, and in some cases the child support can be zero.

According to the Shared Parenting article, there are downsides to a shared custody arrangement as well, including that such an arrangement may not be good for high conflict parents, and may only make things worse in such cases.      Shared parenting can also limit the ability of the parents to move away if they have to do so.  There can also be added anxiety for the children in shared custody arrangements due to too much back and forth between two homes.

It is also important to remember that when it comes to spending time with the children, quality is better than quantity. A close relationship requires effort and sometimes, even parenting education.

The article can be found in its entirety at:   https://www.divorcemag.com/articles/shared-parenting-pros-and-cons/