How You Can Look After Your Child in a Shared Custody Agreement
It can seem daunting to agree for your child to live away from you for specified days of the week, but it can be for the benefit of not just them, but you too. This guide will explain what you need to know.
Make A Clear Plan
Crucially, you should make a clear plan that outlines your shared custody intentions. This means you will have a few decisions to think about. One such decision will be regarding where your child is staying and for how long. In the UK, these agreements are usually informal, but you can work with a court to get a set agreement if it’s proven difficult to manage.
A major decision will be regarding the financial side of things. This is known as child maintenance and may need to be processed through a court. Both sides will need to provide support for their child, which can come in a variety of ways.
What To Do In Risky Situations
There may be situations where your child is staying with your ex-partner for a fixed amount of time each week. This should all be agreed upon legally in the best interests of your children. However, an agreement can change over time leading to risky situations that are out of your control. This refers to when your child is at a different home and you feel there is a potential danger for them.
In cases such as this, you can look into serving an emergency protection order. This is also known as an EPO and will be granted by a court if the police or local authorities believe that a child is in immediate need of protection from harm. This guide to emergency protection orders can explain the ins and outs of the process, including who you need to notify. It will be in your best interest to work with a solicitor who can pass this quickly and get progressive action for the future.
Advantages Of Shared Custody
Aside from risky situations, you should be aware of the numerous advantages of shared custody of your child. It offers advantages for both children and parents. It allows both parents to be involved with their children, seeing them more often. You will have more control and a routine that allows you to plan your life for the next few months.
Away from parenting, it means you have the chance to ease the burden of parenting, being able to share the responsibility. Shared custody can come in a few different forms, from standard contact orders where one parent majority of the responsibility and time spent with the other seeing them on a selected day. Other types may allow for more flexibility with days nominated and the amount of responsibility shared.
Children who undergo an agreed shared custody agreement that is clear will have a better relationship with their parents as they won’t be forced to pick sides. Being forced to pick sides can be quite damaging to their mental health, and can lead to arguments and general disruption for the entire family. Even if the parents don’t fully get on, they should look into a shared custody agreement for the benefit of the children.
Seek Advice If Needed
If you’re unsure of how your shared custody agreement is going then you should speak to some legal experts to find out if there’s much more you can do. Professionals will be able to look at your current agreement to analyse it in detail and give you the answers you desire.
It will also benefit you to speak to loved ones in your life who could offer a unique perspective to you about your shared custody agreement. Of course, they may not have the legal knowledge to provide you with anything concrete, but they will be able to provide you with support and advice that you could then go and look into.
Find A Suitable Home
For you to be able to get a suitable shared custody agreement, you will need to have a home that is deemed acceptable by the local authorities. Aside from the physical condition of the home, such as meeting the standards, you will need to agree on a place for you both to live. For example, you can’t just easily decide to move to another country and take full custody, although that can be granted in some cases.
When deciding where your child will live for most of the week, you will need to consider who has the most time they can provide for care. You will also need to think about the time for the other parent, as they may have certain days set for work that won’t allow them to provide adequate care.
In either case, you should ensure you keep in contact with your child when they are staying with the other parent. This will help to reassure you and also ensure your child knows you’re thinking about them and that you’re there if needed.