When determining child custody, parents at times may battle with each other to to gain more acces to their child. Although each parent may have their own feelings about the best custody arrangement for their child, they must keep in mind that the arrangement must meet the best interests of the child.
Georgia residents may have read that actress and singer Hilary Duff recently separated from her husband of four years, former professional hockey player Mike Comrie. The couple is expected to begin the divorce process soon. The couple has a 21-month old son and they have already decided to have joint custody and will work together to parent him.
Parents pursuing a divorce must create a child custody arrangement either through their own agreement, or by order of the court hearing the case. The most common custody arrangement involves one parent being given primary physical custody, while the other parent retains rights to visitation and legal custody. However, there are other custody arrangements that may work better for the parties involved.
In the above mentioned case, Hilary Duff and her husband have agreed to joint custody of their son. Joint custody is an arrangement in which a child spends a fairly equal amount of time with both parents. To make such an arrangement work successfully, both parents must be able to cooperate and work together to make decisions for their child. Such an arrangement can be very beneficial to a child, as it allows both parents to continue to be involved equally in their child's life during what can be a very emotional time for a child.
There are numerous custody arrangements that can be ordered in the event of a divorce between parents. When courts are asked to decide such an arrangement, they must take into account many factors, but the decision ultimately comes down to what is in the best interests of the child. A parent going through a divorce may wish to seek the counsel of a family law attorney to assist them with the child custody process.
Source: National Ledger, "Hilary Duff Dealing with Divorce from Husband Mike Comrie with a Smile," Jan. 25, 2014