After a divorce, your child has to go through changes since your family structure is being altered. Now, your child may have to travel to see your ex-spouse or you may have sole custody and your ex may only have visitation. While every situation is different, studies have been performed to find out what kind of situation is less harmful to a child’s psychology.

What has been found goes against the idea that splitting time between parents could be stressful due to the travel and fact that the children are constantly in different environments. In fact, children who got to see both parents in a shared custody situation were less stressed than those who saw only one parent in a sole-custody relationship.

Children in typical nuclear families were the least stressed of all, but if that’s not possible, then shared custody can be one way of reducing the stress and anxiety your child has to go through. Consider the reasons behind this; your child has always grown up with two parents, two sides of the family, grandparents, aunts and uncles. If you cut off visitation with one side of the family, your child has suddenly lost half of the support system that has been built up over the years, causing anxiety and other psychosomatic problems.

Girls are most prone to these issues, and the most common problem was sadness. Overall, children who were stressed in these living situations faced sleep problems most commonly. While not all families can adjust to the shared custody situation, this research does back the fact that it can be beneficial overall.

Source: Time, “This Divorce Arrangement Stresses Kids Out Most,” Mandy Oaklander, April. 27, 2015

Laughlin & Company Lawyers Mediators
2755 Lougheed Hwy #710, Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 5Y9
(604) 945-4370

British Columbia parents may be interested in an article discussing the types of child custody available through the court system. Knowledge of these different arrangements may be useful when negotiating a custody agreement with a former spouse.

Under the federal Divorce Act, when a couple who has a child together divorces, they will apply for custody of that child during the divorce process. The term custody refers to the right to spend time with a child and the right to take part in the major decisions in a child’s life. There are three major types of custody. The first is sole custody, which allows only one of the child’s parents to make important parenting decisions. The child generally lives with that parent most of the time as well.

Another type of custody is known as joint custody. Joint custody involves both of the parents in the major decision-making and parenting time to varying degrees. The amount of parenting time does not have to be equal in these arrangements. Decisions about the child’s upbringing, however, generally require the consent of both parents. When each parent spends at least 40 percent of the time responsible for the child, this is known as shared custody. Lastly, split custody is a situation where there is more than one child, and some live with one parent while others live with the second parent.

Decisions regarding child custody and living arrangements are either made through agreement by the parents or by a court. The court seeks to serve the best interests of the child. A lawyer may be able to help throughout the child custody process, either by negotiating an agreement on behalf of one parent or representing them in front of a judge.

Source: Family Law in British Columbia, “Custody“, September 15, 2014

Laughlin & Company Lawyers Mediators
2755 Lougheed Hwy #710, Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 5Y9
(604) 945-4370