If you are a parent living in Rhode Island and you need to work out a plan to share custody with the other parent, you may have wondered whether 50/50 joint custody is the best solution. This is often best for the child although there can be a few drawbacks.
Advantages of 50/50 custody
Children who have roughly the same amount of time with both parents are able to enjoy many of the benefits of being in a nuclear household even though their parents do not live together. They see each parent often enough that they are able to draw on the individual strengths and support of both of them. In this arrangement, both parents tend to be employed full time, so children often have a higher standard of living. This approach to child custody and support also gives each parent a break for single parenting, which can be stressful.
Disadvantages of 50/50 custody
The disadvantages are largely for parents who may have some logistical challenges to deal with, particularly if they do not live near one another. Joint custody can be more challenging if the children are young because changeovers generally need to be more frequent. However, most cases of 50/50 custody do not involve children having to travel long distances despite this being a popular perception. Usually, the changeover can happen when one parent takes the child to school and the other parent picks the child up.
Child custody can be the most difficult element when negotiating a divorce or breakup. Despite how they may feel about one another, parents should make an effort to find the solution that is in the best interests of the child. Most of the time, this is a schedule that gives the child plenty of time with both parents unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as abuse.
