If you are like most parents facing a potential divorce in Louisiana, the most pressing concern you have is likely what divorce will mean for the relationship with your children. Most people have heard about a good parent who gets cut off from their kids due to an inappropriate custody ruling by the courts.
Thankfully, modern divorces often result in shared custody, which means that both parents will still be present and involved in the lives of the children they share. Understanding how the Louisiana courts allocate parental responsibilities and parenting time in a shared custody scenario can make it easier for you to advocate for the best terms for your family in a pending divorce.
The courts will look at family circumstances and preferences
It is common for one spouse to spend more time providing direct care for the children. The courts will look at the nature of the parental relationships, the age of the children, any special needs they have and even the professions of the parents when trying to determine the best way to split custody. How the courts split custody will impact other rulings as well, including the amount of child support one parent may have to pay.
In some circumstances, the parents may have a relatively even split, possibly involving alternating weeks between households. Other times, the courts may give one parent substantially more time with the children due to factors such as lack of availability for parental responsibilities or even through the children’s own request. The older and more mature your children are, the more weight the courts will place on their preferences and wishes in custody proceedings.
The most important factor is the long-term best interest of the children
Although the details and specifics of custody solutions will differ drastically from family to family, the intention behind them is always to find a solution that is in the best interest of the children. Provided that you and your ex can stay focused on what will be best for the kids, that will help you work with one another and the courts to set custody arrangements and create a parenting plan that will work in your unique family circumstances.