Custody issues in family break-ups
Who does the court say I have to live with?
When there is a family break-up there are usually decisions made about custody. This means, there is a decision made about who the children will live with. Sometimes one parent has sole custody and sometimes custody is shared.
A decision may be made that the children live with one parent most of the time, and that they visit the other one (access visits) a certain number of days per week, fortnight or month. If the two parents live a long distance apart then access visits may occur in school holidays.
Sometimes these arrangements are decided between the parents alone and sometimes they are decided with the help of the family court.
When the decision is made by the family court, the children's point of view is taken into account. As the children get older their views are given more weight in the decision.
When there is disagreement about the custody arrangements between the parents it can be particularly difficult for everyone involved.
If you are unhappy about a custody arrangement it is a good idea to talk to someone about your feelings and find out what the options are. Sometimes it is good to talk to someone who is not personally involved with your family.
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1 Comment
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Libby
over 2 years ago
Reply ReportGoing back and forth between houses can be emotionally draining. The most important thing to remember is even though your parents are not together anymore, they still love you just as much as they did when they were together. Divorce happens for a number of reasons but none of it is your fault. Your parents are probably happier now that they are separated which means they are in a better position to care of your needs. Talking about your feelings truly does help a lot. Don't bottle things up, you have a right to feel angry, sad, confused, uncertain, cheated, or even hopeful about your parents' new living situation. Finding someone you trust to talk about those feelings with can make you feel a lot better about the situation.