Any parent who has to go through a child custody battle knows how difficult it is, not to mention traumatizing. Parents try to talk about how they could both raise the kids without living under the same roof. Any separation is always painful, especially when the kids are involved. There are various types of child custody that parents could talk about until they find the one they could agree on. The kind of child care should help both parents work on their situation while raising their kids.
Sole Custody
Only one of the parents is granted the custody of the children. The court gives sole custody to a parent when the other one has been deemed unfit to care for the children. A history of neglect or child abuse, including issues involving drugs or alcohol, can think a parent unfit to raise a child.
However, even if sole custody is granted, the other parent can still be awarded visitation rights. Such visitations rights are more often than not, supervised. This is to make sure that the child is always safe even while he or she is with the other parent.
Joint Custody
Joint custody, also popularly referred to as shared custody, means that both parents have been granted physical and legal custody of the child. Joint custody also means split parental rights for couples who no longer live together. The parents have to sit down and talk about the schedule of when the children will be living with whom. Individual living arrangements may also be arrived at with the comfort and convenience of the kids in mind. Unless they come up with a consensus, the court will then step in and make the final decision for them.
In a shared custody, the child can spend a considerable amount of time with both parents. However, it could also mean that the child is in the middle of the family feud, for those whose parents could not agree on things that involve their child’s welfare. Sadly, the cost of living for such an arrangement can be quite high, considering there are two households to maintain.
Deciding on which type of custody should be granted is based on the evidence presented at court. However, for parents, they should always have their kid’s comfort and feelings in mind. After all, child custody is all about putting the kids’ needs first before everything else.