What is really best for your child in terms of child custody?

When most people think of the phrase “child custody,” it usually brings to mind long, drawn-out court battles, children used as pawns and the court determining what is in the best interests of the child. Unfortunately, child custody battles are not healthy for the children or the parents. What happens, though, when the parents decide that the child custody agreement they agreed to in the divorce is simply not working out?

For many couples, it means a return trip to court to get a modification of the child custody agreement. However, for one couple, they found that throwing away their court-approved child custody papers and creating a new one between themselves worked better.

There was less stress involved, and the couple said they communicated much better. They listened to each other to determine what worked best for each parent. This allowed the child to be less stressed, too. When it came to buying clothes, putting money on the child’s lunch account or paying for insurance, they didn’t argue about it. Instead, whoever had the means to take care of it did so.

This type of agreement allowed the parents and the child to have a healthier, happier life after the divorce. While this is certainly not the answer for most couples, it will work for others. It’s recommended, though, that any agreement be written by an attorney in order to prevent problems later on. In addition, it is also wise to have such modifications filed with the court so that one parent can’t say later on that the other parent didn’t abide by the agreement.

Source: The Huffington Post, “What Happened After My Ex-Husband and I Threw Away Our Custody Agreement,” Candice Curry, Oct. 23, 2015