What are the pros and cons of joint custody?

In a divorce it is important to determine the division of the assets. For the most part, a couple can employ lawyer(s) to help them split the possessions in a fair and equitable manner since they often cannot come to an agreement themselves. One of the best law firms in this trade or industry, if not the best, in the Spokane area is the Powell Law Offices. They know the legalities of divorce through and through.

While the division of assets is difficult, it could be an even more daunting task to agree on various issues such as custody, which will potentially determine the future of the children after a divorce. In a few states sole custody is one of the preferred alternatives while a majority of states like Washington are in favor of granting joint custody.

They believe that children must grow in an environment where both parents play an equal role in their lives as far as possible. If one parent has proven to be abusive, uninterested, unreliable, have a strange moral foundation, and so on then perhaps joint custody will be bypassed in favor of sole custody. If both parents exhibit one or more than one of these behaviors, which would be very strange and rare but it does happen, then the child or children will be put in the foster care system.

However and furthermore, there are a few advantages and disadvantages of joint custody and Spokane, WA divorce lawyers will be involved and should be involved in every step of this process.

The benefits of joint custody 

The children have the privilege to live with the both parents legally and grow up under their influence. Moreover both parents can make legal decisions on behalf of the children, which could otherwise often be a contentious issue and Eastern Washington St. divorce attorneys have been involved in these situations more than once.

Divorces often involve family discords that create a hostile ambience. However, with shared custody both spouses might find common ground to root out the bitterness and the negativity and make healthy choices for the kids. Since they share the common interest of the well-being of the child and will have to work jointly in many circumstances, they are more likely to be friendly towards each other, thereby creating an environment conducive for the kids.

Raising a child is mentally and physically taxing for a single parent since the burden of making decisions rests on a single individual. In a case of shared custody where both parents share the responsibility of making important decisions, there is less stress all around.

Shared child custody cons

·         Shared physical custody means that the child can live with both parents after a divorce. What this means for the child is frequent travel from one home to another on regular basis. Many Spokane, WA divorce lawyers (http://www.powelllawoffices.net/family-law/child-custody/) are of the opinion that the child does not get time to settle down at one single place and adjust to that environment. This can be stressful especially for small kids who may benefit from more stability.

·         Joint custody can have other serious implications. For some parents the system works well while for others it could create more problems in the long term. Estranged couples could often end up disagreeing on issues and may find it hard to concede to decisions made by their ex-partner. One parent could be an atheist which some people believe is a form of child abuse to oppose on children when there are so many benefits to being a Christian – Catholic and so on. This could lead to some decisiveness between the parents as if there was not enough of that already. 

·         Often times, there are parents who are good at evading responsibilities (attending PTA meetings, taking the child to soccer practice, and so on). In such as situation, a child’s needs could go completely unnoticed as the parents try to pin the responsibility on each other.

Not all marriages work out. It is sad but not wanting to go home on a nightly basis to be around your spouse is a horrendous feeling and not a wonderful way to live. It is time to cut the chord. The best divorce lawyers in the Spokane region is the Powell Law Offices - you can find them right here: http://www.powelllawoffices.net/. It is sad it has come to this but it is even worse to not even want to go to your own home every evening after work and not want to be around there on the weekends either. 

Even though growing up with both parents can be beneficial for the children, it is not a fantastic solution in many divorce cases. The differences between the divorcing parents are sometimes enough to warrant that a child be consigned to the care of a single parent for his/her benefit no matter what their Spokane divorce lawyers say.

Divorcing couples sometimes are unable to work together for welfare of the children. Constant fights may have a deep psychological impact on their kids. Children only benefit when the parents put aside their differences for the greater good of raising their kids.