Parents who choose to divorce or live separately still have shared obligations to their children. The need to collaborate to raise their children largely prevents them from making a clean break at the end of their relationship.
Parents may see one another regularly for a decade or more until their children become legal adults. They may also see each other occasionally at special events later in life, such as the weddings of their children and the birth of their grandchildren.
Parents who no longer share their lives with one another have to share their parental rights and responsibilities. Whether they settle their own custody terms or ask a judge to handle the custody case, there are three main parental rights and responsibilities that parents typically share or divide in a co-parenting scenario.
Physical custody
People discussing shared custody often prioritize physical custody or parenting time. They want to have as much time with their children as possible. The parent with physical custody has a responsibility to meet the children’s needs during their parenting time. They have to provide the basics that their children require, including shelter, food and access to healthcare. Working out a schedule to share physical custody can be a challenging process for co-parents.
Legal custody
Parents have the power to make decisions about their children’s lives. They choose where they go to school and what medical attention they receive. Parents typically share legal custody. Each parent has the authority to make short-term decisions during their parenting time. They may need to communicate with one another about bigger, more consequential decisions.
Financial responsibility
Typically, there’s an expectation that each parent should meet the basic needs of the children during their parenting time. However, factors such as leaving the workforce to raise the children and uneven earning potential can influence how well each parent meets the needs of the children. Frequently, courts may order one parent to pay child support. Those support payments are for the benefit of the children. Child support helps ensure that a lower-earning parent or a parent with more physical custody can meet the needs of the children and offer a similar standard of living when compared to the other parent.
The details of sharing parental rights and responsibilities can set families up for successful co-parenting or years of conflict. Investing time into the creation of effective parenting plans can be beneficial for an entire family in the long run.