If you’ve made the difficult decision to end your relationship with your child’s other parent, you will have to determine a child custody agreement. There are many different custody arrangements in New Jersey. However, joint custody is one of the most common arrangements parents usually opt for. Joint custody allows both parents to remain active participants in their child’s life. Please continue reading to learn how a joint custody agreement works and how our determined Monmouth County Child Custody Attorneys can help you safeguard your child’s best interests.
What Are the Different Custody Arrangements in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, there are various custody arrangements:
- Sole legal & physical custody: In this child custody arrangement, the child will serve as the residential custodian parent. This parent will be responsible for making all of the significant decisions on behalf of their child without consulting the non-custodial parent. This custody arrangement is ordered in cases where one parent is absent or deemed unfit.
- Joint legal custody: In this child custody arrangement, parents remain active participants in their child’s life, as each parent spends time with the child regularly. Typically, one parent will serve as the primary residential custodian, but parents will split time equally. In joint legal custody, both parents are responsible for making joint decisions concerning their children. This includes significant issues like the child’s education, healthcare, religion, and general welfare. The primary custodial parent is responsible for making day-to-day decisions about their child but must consult the non-custodial parent when appropriate. Whoever has the child in their care must make decisions that serve the child’s best interests. This is one of the most common custody arrangements as the court attempts to preserve the parent-child relationship.
- Shared legal and physical custody: In this child custody arrangement, parents are granted an equal division of parenting time. Typically, parents alternate weeks, meaning one parent has one week with the child, and the other has the following week. Parents share responsibility for making joint decisions regarding their children.
As you can see, joint custody is one of the most common custody arrangements because it allows parents to remain influential in their children’s lives, which is considered in the children’s best interests. The court acknowledges that it’s in a child’s best interest to have an ongoing relationship with both of their parents.
Understandably, child custody issues are emotionally complex. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to contact a seasoned Monmouth County child custody attorney from the legal team at Paone Zaleski & Murphy, who can help you determine an arrangement that best serves you and your family.
