It is an unfortunate situation when children become tools for parents to use against each other when they are going through divorce. When this occurs, the children are more likely to be negatively affected than the other parent. Therefore, seeking shared custody of children may be the most beneficial route. However, Massachusetts parents must be willing to work together.

When parties go through divorce, it is not uncommon for there to be some anger involved initially. If a parent wishes to use that resentment in order to attempt to hurt the other parent during child custody proceedings, they may try to gain more custody or even sole custody of their children. Working together as parents even after a divorce can potentially be beneficial for the children involved, and in that case, both parents would need to encourage a healthy relationship with the other parent.

In order to effectively co-parent, each party must also be willing to do their share as a parent. Custody agreements are drawn up in order for each parent to understand what is expected of them after the divorce and custody proceedings are concluded. If a parent does not make the effort to follow those agreements, children may end up with a stronger relationship with one parent over the other.

Shared custody may not be the right choice for everyone, but as many parents want to remain a part of their children’s lives, working together after divorce may be the best route for some. Co-parenting may be more effective if each party enters into the agreement amiably and understands their duties as a parent. If attempts to share custody do not go as planned, Massachusetts parents may wish to look into potentially seeking information on custody modifications.

Source: The Huffington Post, “7 Deadly Sins of Co-Parenting“, Valerie DeLoach, June 13, 2014