If you are looking for an easy formula that sets out the perfect way to share custody, you are out of luck. While a 50:50 or 80:20 split might be perfect for some couples, they could prove disastrous for others. Each situation is unique.
Each parent’s need to earn money will be one of the most significant factors in deciding custody. Your child will need one of you there for them at specific times of day, especially when they are younger. Work can get in the way of this. For example, if your job permits you to pick your child up and drop them off at nursery each day, but your spouse’s schedule does not, it may make sense if your child lives with you during the week.
New living situations can also affect your custody decisions. Let’s say your co-parent has a new partner they intend to buy a house with. Consider how this will affect your child. Maybe the new partner is great with kids. Or perhaps they are a highly strung academic who needs peace and quiet to work from their home office.
Consider what opportunities you can give your child
You have been offered a fantastic job in another town close to your family. Your parents have said you can live rent-free in the cottage on their estate and they will look after your child while you are at work. They already do the same for your sister’s children, so your child can play with their cousins every day. The alternative is struggling in your current low-paid job in a town where you know no one and would spend most of your wages on daycare. Hopefully, your co-parent can see it is better for your child if you get primary custody.
Finding a custody solution that works for you, your co-parent and your child can be challenging, and you may all need to make sacrifices. The only certainty is that your child needs to spend time with both of you.
