About Dual Custody
Child custody is often one of the biggest obstacles in messy divorce proceedings. From determining which parent attains sole custody to figuring out if both parents want to share, the circumstances are never smooth and easy. One common custody option is called "dual custody" and permits a child to live with both parents in separate residences. Dual custody is also called shared or joint custody.
Other People Are Reading
-
Definition
-
Dual custody can refer to both legal and physical custody. If a parent has dual physical custody, it doesn't mean that he necessarily has dual legal custody. With dual legal custody, both parents have a say in the child's life, from where he attends elementary school to the religion in which he is raised. As for dual physical custody, it refers to where the child spends his time. Even if a child lives for most of the year with his mother, dual physical custody gives the father the right to spend time with his child at home, as well. Some dual physical custody arrangements allow children to spend weekdays with the mother and weekends with the father, for example.
Strengths and Drawbacks
-
As with almost anything in life, dual custody arguably has its strong and weak points. Dual custodial arrangements permit a child to maintain close relationships with both parents without feeling abandoned or forgotten by one. These arrangements also provide both parents with a little bit of free time, as it can be extremely stressful to raise a child alone. On the flip side, dual custody can also have downsides. If parents argue nonstop about plans for holidays or other important occasions, it can get frustrating for a child. It also can be very tiring for a child to have to commute back and forth from one home to another, especially if the parents do not live near each other.
-
Effectiveness
-
If the two parents are willing, dual custody can usually be a very effective and practical situation. Some factors that could contribute to the ease of dual custody include open and direct communication between both parents (regarding everything from what time a child will be dropped off to his extracurricular activities), abstaining from insulting each other in the presence of the child, prioritizing the child, scheduling stability, flexibility and willingness to accommodate to the needs of the other parent and honoring of the other parents' household rules.
Determination
-
Parents cannot simply ask for dual custody on their own. Dual custody is generally granted in a divorce or family court setting. The court order is given to promote the well-being of the child. If a judge decides that a child is better off living only with his mother, he will likely grant her sole custody, for example.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
