People who share custody of their children in Pennsylvania must decide how they will handle decisions related to raising their kids. Parenting after divorce can be one of the most challenging aspects of separation.
In an ideal situation, parents are able to work together after separating to co-parent the children. When people cannot agree on how to handle the day-to-day logistics of raising their children, “parallel parenting” may work better. In this situation, both parents are connected to the children and usually agree on major decisions relating to religion and education, but they do not have frequent discussions with each other about how they’re raising the children.
Seeing parents fighting can be psychologically damaging to children. Parallel parenting may work better than co-parenting when most discussions about the children lead to an argument. Individuals who opt for parallel parenting must be comfortable letting go of control. Discussions regarding the children are impersonal with the primary goal of making practical decisions on issues like scheduling.
The primary goal of any child custody arrangement should be to ensure that the best interests of the children are protected. In cases where parents cannot communicate in a healthy way regarding their children, it is good for them to recognize that this can hurt their children and try to put their differences aside.
A divorce lawyer may be able to help individuals who are facing a child custody dispute. When children are involved in a divorce, it is usually best for parents to try to work together since most judges recognize that joint custody does not work well when exes cannot communicate about raising their children.
In some cases, bitterness and anger can last long after a divorce is finalized, leading some parents to disobey court orders regarding custody and visitation. When this happens, an attorney may be able to help someone file a motion for contempt against the parent who is not following the court’s previous orders.
