For many parents who are going through divorce, it’s hard to know how to set up a custody schedule. You want to do what’s right for your child, but you also want to have as much time with them as possible.
During your divorce, various topics will come up. Your ex-spouse might state that they’ll be moving to an area with a better school system and want your child to come. You might argue that your child has more family in your current region of Hawaii. These are all issues that you’ll need to go over so that you can decide what kind of custody plan is really in your child’s best interests.
Are a child’s best interests subjective?
Yes, to a degree. Your child may benefit from staying in their family home and living near relatives, but they may also benefit from moving to a new school system and seeing your ex’s family. In divorce, you do need to realize that what’s in your child’s best interests will be a little bit subjective depending on the circumstances.
However, no matter what you do, you do need to make sure that your child will be happy, healthy and provided for. So, if you know that you are running a home on a tight budget and have long work hours, it might make sense to send them with the other parent who has more flexible spending and more flexibility at work.
Your child’s best interests aren’t necessarily their preferences, either. Your child may not understand all the finer details of why you’re getting divorced or the impact that their decisions could make. As a result, your child’s best interests are unlikely to be in line with their preferences. You should hear what they have to say and listen to hear if there are any preferences they have that would be to their benefit. You can include those in your custody and parenting plans.
This is a tough situation to be in, but you can get through it. A good custody schedule takes time to create, but it will make everyone’s lives easier in the future.