If you and your co-parent have joint physical and joint legal custody of your child, it means that you share both time with them and in making big decisions regarding their upbringing. This can have many positive benefits for the child, because it means that both of their parents are able to play an active role in their life. However, it can also mean that certain challenges arise out of conflicting opinions regarding how to raise your child.
If you are currently going through the process of establishing child custody, you may be wondering whether joint legal custody is a desirable choice. The following are some of the pros and cons of joint legal custody.
The advantages of joint legal custody
When parents share joint legal custody, it means that both parents are entitled to be equally involved in the important decisions. This could be in regard to what educational path the child follows or decisions about what medical procedure would be appropriate. This can be advantageous because it creates a space for parental collaboration.
The disadvantages of joint legal custody
When one parent wants a child to attend boarding school and the other parent thinks that public school would be more appropriate, for example, conflicts can easily arise. If you already have a tumultuous relationship with the other parent, joint legal custody may not be appropriate.
You should always consider how joint legal custody would affect your child. If you are having difficulties navigating the child custody process, an experienced family law attorney can provide valuable information and guidance.
