During a divorce, one of the greatest sources of fear and anxiety for parents is the well-being of their children, including how often parents will get to see them. With most parenting plans including some version of joint custody, parents in Connecticut have many options available to them to both maximize their parenting time and ensure the best outcome for their children.
While teenagers and older children can do fine with an alternating-week schedule, younger children tend to need more frequent transitions in order to feel connected to both parents. A common joint custody schedule for young children is two days with one parent, two days with the other, three days with the first again and then flipping the schedule. Though the frequent transitions can be harder on the parents, it helps children maintain their connection to both parents and allows both to be very involved in the daily minutiae of child rearing. As the children adjust, the schedule can be changed to a 2-2-5 rotation with the children spending two days with the first parent, two days with the other, five days back with the first and then alternating.
Though divorces are often contentious, it’s important for parents to move beyond that in a co-parenting relationship. Divorce is the end of the marriage, but the co-parenting relationship may last a long time depending on the age of the children. Even after children are grown, there are graduations, marriages and grandchildren to consider. Children do best if their parents are cordial to each other and refrain from speaking ill of each other. It may help to remember that a bad spouse is not necessarily a bad parent.
Figuring out the details of a parenting plan, including custody arrangements, can be complicated and difficult without guidance. A lawyer with experience in family law may be able to help navigate the legal issues in order to ensure the best possible outcome for everyone.
