If you share children with a former spouse or romantic partner, you will likely share parenting time with that person. Kentucky law generally believes that allowing shared custody is an effective way to meet the “best interest of the child” standard. There are several strategies that you might be able to use to negotiate a custody schedule in a timely and civil manner.
Don’t make decisions based on emotion
While you may genuinely dislike your child’s other parent with a passion, it shouldn’t have any impact on how a custody schedule is arranged. This is partially because a judge is unlikely to sign off on a plan that doesn’t meet state standards. In addition, you don’t want to use your child as a tool to settle a petty score that they have nothing to do with.
Know what you want ahead of time
Knowing what you need out of a negotiation makes it easier to determine where to take hardline stances and where you’re willing to compromise. It’s also important to get an idea of what the other parent needs so that you can work in good faith toward a deal that both sides will be content with. Working in good faith now can help you learn how to effectively communicate with your child’s other parent. Knowing how to talk to this person may prevent the need to take a visit to family law court when a conflict arises.
After a divorce, you will likely remain active in your child’s life. Whether you get visitation or custody rights depends on your work schedule, personal habits and other factors a judge finds relevant. If a parenting plan negotiated outside of court meets the “best interest of the child” standard, it will likely be approved.