No two California families are alike. And yet, many Oakland residents experience the same or similar issues no matter what their particular circumstances may be.
This is certainly the case when individuals become involved in divorce proceedings. One of the primary issues involved in many divorces is determining custody over the children.
For instance, actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt recently started divorce proceedings and they are currently involved in a custody dispute. Jolie filed for full physical custody of the couple’s six children, rather than joint custody. The couple reportedly reached an arrangement where Jolie will get full physical custody, while Pitt will have therapeutic visits with the kids.
Typically, in California, shared parenting works best when the parents are cooperative with one another. Parents who communicate well and are physically able to do so may have joint custody over the children. In other cases, an award of sole custody in one parent might be more appropriate.
In making these decisions and establishing a parenting plan, the court is typically guided by what is in the best interests of the child, as opposed to what the parents want. This is a multi-factor test that examines all different aspects of the parent’s relationship with the child, including the parent’s ability to provide a safe and loving environment, the parent’s demonstrated record of caring for the child and even the child’s preference in certain cases.
These are just some of the many factors that may be considered by the court. By examining these and other issues, the court can determine what custody arrangement will work best for the child.
Source: Parent Herald, “Co-parenting in the spotlight: Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt divorce yields valuable lessons in shared parenting,” Amanda Moore, Nov. 30, 2016