If you are getting a divorce with children involved, one thing that you may really be hoping to get is shared custody of your child. While a custody battle can be quite tough to go through, here is how you can get the shared custody arrangement that you desire.
Maintain a Good Relationship With Your Spouse
The unity and structure of a family are very important for a child, which includes having both a mother and a father. While a divorce will bring an end to the marriage, each person will always be a mother and father to their child no matter what. That is why it is important to maintain a good relationship with your spouse during and after the divorce process. As easy as it may be to get angry about what is happening and take it out on the spouse, they are still a parent to your child and always will be.
You'll want to demonstrate this relationship to a judge so that they know the family structure is still going to be there, even though the marriage will end. This can help make a judge feel more comfortable that a shared custody arrangement will be a good decision.
Live As Close As Possible
Geographical distance often makes shared custody impractical. If one person decides that they want to move to a new city, the travel arrangements for shared custody make the entire process complicated for the child. Living nearby is going to make changing who has physical custody much easier, and be less disruptive to your child. If being with your kid is important, make sure you demonstrate to the court that you're willing to live nearby to improve that arrangement.
Be As Involved As You Can Be
A common problem with parents is that they want shared custody, but are not willing to put in the work to show that they want it. While being separated and getting divorced can make the process incredibly difficult, you need to show that court that you're willing to be as involved as you can be during this time. Even if your child is still living with their mom or dad and you do not have an official custody arrangement, being involved is going to show that shared custody will work. A judge may see that you are not stepping up when it is not required and may end up making a decision that maintains the current situation.
To learn more about shared custody or how to get it during a divorce, reach out to a child custody attorney near you.
