When Michigan parents like you decide to split, you have many decisions ahead. A lot of them revolve around your child. What do you want your parenting to look like in the future? What form of custody should you go for?
Many studies show that joint or shared custody benefits children the most. You may want to examine this option first.
Stable home environment
VeryWell Family discusses the benefits of joint custody. The primary beneficiary is the child. This is because joint custody provides them with a more stable home environment. Studies prove this stability to have a great impact on your child’s development. Children of joint custody have fewer behavioral issues than those of sole custody. They tend to have an easier time connecting with peers. They do not get into as much trouble with authority. Studies speculate that this is due to the security that home life stability brings.
A break for the parents
Not everyone knows that joint custody can benefit the parents, too. For example, you can share the burden of raising a child in a more even way. You can rely on each other to step up and fill in where necessary. You can share financial burdens, too. Sometimes, child support payments are not equal. If both parents share equal involvement in a child’s life, you can split expenses in an even way.
Joint custody is not always the right choice. In some situations, it may do more harm than help. You must carefully examine your own situation. From there, you can decide if joint custody is a realistic option. Then, you can decide if it is the option you wish to try.