Many people seeking a Colorado divorce are also parents whose main concern is that their children get through the impending divorce with as little upset and turmoil as possible. They also desire a post-divorce custody arrangement that will allow their soon-to-be ex-spouse to remain a large part of the children’s lives.
If you fit this description, you should know that joint custody has become the custody arrangement of choice for courts, judges, child psychologists and parents themselves. Admittedly, joint custody does not work in all situations. But assuming that your spouse has no history of marital or child abuse or neglect, you should seriously consider it in the best interests of your children.
Recent study results
A recent study reveals that children whose parents devise a joint custody arrangement benefit in the following ways:
- They continue to have a meaningful relationship with both parents.
- They develop fewer psychological and emotional problems than other children from divorced homes.
- They tend to maintain their pre-divorce grades and academic achievements.
- They tend to make better choices when establishing peer relationships.
- They have less likelihood of turning to drugs and/or alcohol.
- They have many more opportunities to continue their extended family relationships.
Parental advantages
While a joint custody arrangement can greatly benefit your children, both now and in the future, it can also benefit you. For instance, you will likely experience the following:
- You and your former spouse will achieve and maintain a good post-divorce relationship as you work together for the benefit of your children.
- Both of you will be far more likely to adhere to your agreed parenting plan and cooperate when changes need to be made to it.
- Both of you will have the satisfaction of watching your children develop into happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults knowing that both of their parents love them.
For most divorced couples, joint custody proves to be a win-win situation, benefitting the adults as well as the children.