When contemplating a shared physical custody schedule for an adolescent, the child’s personality shall be considered.
One of the common arguments in custody cases is that children should be able to spend “equal” time with both parents so that they may develop a meaningful relationship with each parent. Many advocates believe that shared custody by default is in the best interests of the child. However, some children are highly flexible and adapt to being mobile between two homes; others do not.
The child’s unique characteristics such as personality and temperament shall be considered when determining whether shared physical custody is in the best interest of the child.
One study revealed that conscientious teens, those who generally are more organized and ordered experienced a lower sense of well-being in joint physical custody arrangements. Similarly, extroverted children, those who have strong social networks and activities, demonstrated decreased well-being through lower feelings of mastery. Thus, conscientious and extroverted children may be at higher risk in joint physical custody arrangements. These types of children may benefit more from a ‘home base.’ A home base offers greater consistency, predictability, and a better anchoring to a primary social network. Conscientious and extraverted teens may, therefore, feel better with a primary base.
Crafting developmentally appropriate parenting plans is essential for the children.
Attorneys at the Rudyuk Law Firm are well experienced in drafting parenting agreements considering different personalities of the children. We inform clients about and help them understand some of the potential concerns that may be present with different personality types in cases of shared custody.
Call us for a consultation if you have children and you are contemplating separation or divorce.