As a father going through a divorce, the last thing you want to see happen is what the media shows so often: fathers who aren’t in their children’s lives. You want to be part of your children’s lives, and you want to be an active, regular part at that.
The best thing you can think of for your situation is to go with joint custody. Joint custody is a great option for dads who want to share custody, especially if you’re interested in sharing custody as close to equally as possible.
If you do want to share custody equally, there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. You’ll have to stay close to your child’s school
This is the first consideration. You won’t have as much freedom to move around, since you’ll be sharing parenting time on school days, too.
2. You’ll need to interact with the other parent more often
You’ll need to see your ex-husband or ex-wife regularly if you share custody 50-50. Even if you’re in a contentious arrangement now, you can work through this to make sure you can drop off and pick up your child without conflict. Consider mediation, so you can both work to make the transitions smoother.
3. You’ll have less of a social life
When you take on half the responsibility for your child, it will limit your time. For most parents, this isn’t an issue, but it’s best to be honest about how much time you want for yourself after the divorce.
These are some considerations to keep in mind when you’re looking into shared custody. It can be a huge benefit to share custody equally if it’s the best option for your situation.
