What Are the Different Child Custody Arrangements?

Creating a parenting plan may be the thing that takes the longest in your divorce proceedings. This is likely because this is the most emotional part of the divorce for you and your spouse. Follow along to find out the different types of child custody arrangements and how one of the proficient Clarksville child custody lawyers at Fendley and Etson can help you negotiate one that is best for you, your spouse, and your child.

What are the different child custody arrangements recognized by Tennessee family law?

First of all, you must understand that custody pertains to your physical and legal rights over your child. Physical rights mean you are in charge of physically caring for and supervising your child at given scheduled times. Legal rights mean you are in charge of making decisions on your child’s behalf when major issues concerning their well-being arise. Now that this is covered, below are the different types of child custody arrangements recognized by Tennessee family law:

• Joint custody arrangement: this means you and your spouse may equally care for your child and make mutual decisions on their behalf.
• Full custody arrangement: this means your child may be under your care full-time and you have complete control over making decisions on their behalf.
• Primary custody arrangement: this means your child may be under your care most of the time while your spouse may get minimal parenting or visitation time.
• Split custody arrangement: this means your one child may be under your care primarily while your spouse may have your other child under their care primarily.
• Nesting custody arrangement: this means you and your spouse may take turns living between a primary residence and your separate residences to equally care for your child.

Which custody arrangement is best for my family?

Generally speaking, the Tennessee family court finds joint custody as the best working arrangement for families. This is because a child may maintain a relationship with both parents and vice versa. However, at Fendley and Etson, we understand that every family dynamic and divorce proceeding is different. So a joint custody arrangement may not be in any family member’s best interest. This is why, when negotiating this, you must consider the following factors:

• Your child’s separate relationships with you and your spouse while you were still married.
• Your child’s separate relationship with their siblings during your marriage.
• Your child’s special healthcare and educational needs, if applicable.
• Your child’s preference, if they are of a mature age.
• The distance between your and your spouse’s separate residences.
• The ability of you and your spouse to provide a stable home life for your child.
• The willingness of you and your spouse to act as parental figures for your child.
• The history you and your spouse have with substance abuse or domestic violence, if applicable.

At the end of the day, you can rely on one of the talented Clarksville family lawyers to serve as the support system you need during this difficult time. So please seek the legal counsel of Fendley and Etson today.