When the custody of a child is called into question by two divorcing parents, the courts will usually favor the parent who is deemed to be the “primary caretaker” of the children. If the family has one working spouse and one homemaker spouse who stays home and takes care of the kids, determining who is the primary caretaker is a straightforward process. However, most modern families have two working spouses so the process of identifying the primary caretaker might not be that clear cut.
If you want to establish yourself as the primary caretaker of your children, or at least establish yourself as sharing in the caretaker responsibilities, you’ll want to provide evidence that you engaged in the following types of activities on behalf of your children:
- Dressing, bathing and grooming
- Planning meals and preparing meals
- Buying clothes and washing laundry
- Taking care of the children’s health needs
- Making trips to the doctor and dentist with the kids
- Helping with extracurricular activities
- Teaching the children writing, reading, math and helping them do homework
- Attending parent-teacher conferences and open house events
- Enjoying leisure activities with your children
- Reading your children bedtime stories
- Driving your kids to and from school, to sporting events and other activities
If you would like to ensure that you have the best chances of receiving full or partial physical custody of your children, make sure you take a strategic approach to establishing yourself as a primary caretaker of your kids during your legal proceedings. To learn more about the topics of parenting time schedules, child custody and divorce, you might want to visit our website.