When it comes to the divorce process, not everyone can agree on everything. Child custody is one of those issues that parents frequently disagree on. We are talking about major long-term life changes that not only affect the parents but impact the children. Parents know separation is not easy for their children, which is why disagreements over child custody tend to be personal. Some people dread going through the expensive court process to handle this kind of dispute. However, there are alternative ways to come to an agreement. Talk to a Tennessee family law lawyer if you have questions.
Common Child Custody Conflicts
Understanding the common conflicts parents face in regards to child custody decisions can help frame where you and your spouse stand in disagreement. can involve many factors like visitation rights, who raises the child,
who has legal rights over the child, and who pays child support. Any of these decisions can make life difficult for a parent or child if the wrong decision is made.
The two main types of child custody are joint custody and exclusive custody. Parents with joint custody will take turns raising the child and may share legal and physical rights over their children. Legal rights mean that they can decide medical treatments, education, and religious upbringing for the child if the child is a minor. Physical rights determine which parent’s house the child will live in.
Exclusive custody can grant both legal and physical rights, or both, to one parent only. The other parent may or may not have to pay child support or be granted visitation rights. Certain rights like visitation rights or custody can be taken away if evidence of abuse or neglect is found. However, for deciding child custody decisions before the divorce is finalized, most parents want a cheaper less time-consuming route.
Alternatives to Child Custody Disputes
are offered to parents who are seeking a divorce and want to save time and money on their divorce case. This involves working with neutrals, who are chosen by the court or can be chosen by you and your spouse. Neutrals are non-biased people trained to have both sides make their argument to come to an eventual agreement.
Mediation is another common alternative dispute resolution strategy. This involves a mediator who is trained to help you and your spouse find important points of disagreement to clarify each other’s perspectives and fix misunderstandings. Mediators will also help each of you find solutions to your disagreements to help both of you reach a resolution. If an agreement is reached, you will all sign a form to officialize the agreement.
