The divorce process will create disturbances in the lives of everyone involved. This includes not only the couple but also the children of the couple.
Parents want to find any way they can to make divorce easier on their kids. While it is impossible to completely prevent any negative impacts, it is possible to lower their severity while giving a child a stronger and healthier base of coping mechanisms to lean on. Joint custody serves as one way to do this.
The benefits of joint custody
The American Psychological Association discusses the impact of custody options on children of divorce. Children often experience the most fear centered around a potential loss of familiarity and stability. They fear the complete upheaval and change of their life into something they cannot recognize.
Joint custody helps lower these fears by allowing for both parents to continue having an equitable presence in the life of their child. Shared physical custody rarely ever happens due to the logistical issues it causes, but shared legal custody means both parents have equal say in the life of their child.
A boost in mental health
This increase in stability and familiarity may even help to reduce mental health problems that often occur or get exacerbated due to divorce. Studies show that children in joint custody situations tend to have a lower rate of anxiety, depression and stress disorders compared to children in sole custody situations.
While joint custody does not make a logical option for every family, it can massively benefit the families that find it doable. Thus, it should stay a choice to consider.
