The best interests of the child are paramount in a Mississippi family law case. Part of that might be the court determining that the best option for the child’s well-being is that the parents have joint custody.
To ensure that the parents understand the various aspects of a case, it is important to know the basics. That includes a specific grasp of what joint custody entails and under what circumstances a court will decide that it is the best option.
When the term “joint custody” is used, it can refer to joint physical and legal custody. With respect to physical custody, it refers to the times when the child is with and being supervised by one of the parents. When there is an order for joint physical custody, the parents will have significant amounts of time in which they have physical custody. With joint custody, the child will be shared to ensure that there is consistent contact with both parents.
Regarding decision-making rights, the parents will share them if there is a joint legal custody order. That means decisions about the child’s health, education and welfare will be made between both parents. The parents are also required to share and exchange information about these issues. They will confer about any decision that will be made in this context.
There are obvious benefits when parents have joint custody. The child will have easy access to both parents, and any important decision about the child will be discussed. However, there can also be challenges to such a situation, and parents could want to make changes or need help with a full-blown child custody dispute. Even in amicable relationships, it might be necessary to seek changes to the agreement. For these considerations, a law firm with experience in child custody cases may be able to help.