Child custody: Is parallel parenting the right option?

A family is still a family even after divorce. But that being said, every family is different, and child custody decisions should be custom-tailored to fit the individual situations of San Francisco families. Joint custody may not always be the right decision, even though family court judges prefer it. When parents have a tough time working amicably, even when it is in the best interests of the children, other custody scenarios should be considered.

Chance of diminishing conflict

Divorce comes with a plethora of strong emotions that don’t necessarily abate once the divorce becomes final. When there is a contentious relationship between divorced parents, it could impede co-parenting. In this type of situation, parents might wish to consider parallel parenting, which allows children to have access to both parents with reduced incidents of parental conflict.

How does parallel parenting work?

Parents have their own separate lives with their children when using the parallel parenting model. When the children are with one parent, that parent will make all decisions regarding day-to-day life. Each parent gets that chance. Essentially, parents will parent independently of each other, and there is very little overlap with little to no need to communicate with the other parent. Important decisions can be split, or mediation can be used to reach decisions.

When co-parenting seems impossible, parallel parenting may be the right solution. The ultimate goal, however, is to protect the best interests of the children. This is an important decision and one that may need the help of a San Francisco family law attorney experienced in child custody issues. Whether it’s parallel parenting or another option, a parent wants to make sure he or she is doing what’s best for the children.