How Does Joint Custody Work?

Joint custody can be determined among yourselves, or it can be court ordered in divorce or domestic violence situations. Regardless of the reason behind the joint custody, it is most preferred when determining the best options for the wellbeing of the children involved.

• When you have agreed, or have been ordered, to go through with joint custody, there is a certain amount of time that is set between the two households. This time period can range from every other week, to summers at one household and the school year at another household. The decision depends on the case in question.


• Unless there are extenuating circumstances, most judges will grant the mother with most of the time with the child if it is in the best interest. This is because one of the parents is usually designated as the primary residence. Some situations that may differ in these instances include if the mother abuses drugs or is abusive. In these types of cases, sole custody is generally granted to the other parent. At times, if the judge feels as though the parent is working on bettering themselves, they may grant supervised visits to the child.


• When determining how the custody arrangement will work between you and the other parent, take into consideration what the child wants. If the child is miserable with the mother, or simply wants to spend more time with the father, take this into consideration when dividing the time. Otherwise, your child may start to act out and perform poorly in school and other activities.