Parents of minors have numerous options when it comes to creating visitation and custody guidelines. However, coming up with the right solution can be confusing and stressful. Terms describing the different arrangements can all sound similar. For example, joint shared parenting and joint custody are not the same things. Understanding the differences between these two custody options will help you decide what type of arrangement is best for your situation.
Joint Legal Custody
Even if a child lives with one of their parents for most of the year, joint legal custody is usually granted. This means that both of the child’s parents are entitled to have influence over important matters relating to their upbringing. In a joint legal custody situation, decisions about the child’s medical care, religious training, education, and other concerns are made with the input of both parents. There are certain situations where sole legal custody is granted to one party because the other has behaved in a way that indicates that they cannot make responsible choices regarding their child.
Sole Physical Custody
When a child spends most of the time in one of their parent’s homes. The other parent ends up paying child support even if they earn less than the parent with custody. In Granite City, Illinois, the formula sets the child support rate based on the percentage of total income that parents earn.
Joint Shared Parenting
In joint shared parenting situations, the child will spend roughly equal amounts of time in each of the parent’s homes. As neither party has sole physical custody, the parent that earns more income must make child support payments to the other. This is true even for a parent whose income is higher by even one dollar. This changes if both parents reach an agreement on an alternative plan that is approved by the court. Establishing a joint shared parenting plan is not a way to avoid child support, this is because this model still uses income shares.
Visitation and custody terms should be tailored to your children. This allows them to have the best chance at thriving following the divorce. Our team at Elovitz Law is here to help you make sure that your custody case is a smooth one. Give our team a call today to learn more information about how we can help you during this tough time in your life.
