Hartford Divorce Law Blog

Many Connecticut parents agree to joint custody arrangements for their children. Often, these custody agreements involve the children living half the time with Parent A and half the time with Parent B. It's a good way for the kids spend the maximum time with both parents. In addition, joint custody provides some relief to the parents, giving both parents a break from their responsibilities each week.

Even though family psychologists tend to support these healthy parenting arrangements, there are some circumstances in which they can be disastrous. Here are a few situations when joint physical custody might not work that well:

Not all parents are lucky enough to live in the same state as their children. These so-called "long-distance parents" will struggle to maintain a constant sense of connection with their kids via social media, video chats, text messages and regular phone conversations. These parents will also want to include in their parenting plans a way that they can spend extended periods of time -- usually during school summer vacations -- with their children each year.

Summer vacation time is a boon to long-distance parents in this regard. Most long-distance parenting plans, for example, will include a designated six to eight week period when the children will fly to the other parent to temporarily live in his or her home. This offers a great opportunity for the parent and children to bond with one another and perhaps go on a trip or two together.

An international child custody dispute is one of the most complicated. Interestingly, the number of international marriages is increasing, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The trouble with international marriages is that they can end like any others. When they involve children, the end of an international marriage can become extremely harmful to everyone involved. Both parents may not wish to stay in the same country, and the children may be forced to travel back and forth between countries if they wish to remain with both parents at one point or another.

Alimony can be an important part of a divorce settlement. For instance, if you have been a stay-at-home mother for many years, you may not have had the chance to build up your career. The career you had in the past may have advanced to a point where your old skills do not meet the needs of employers.

For someone in your position, temporary alimony plays a vital role in your life moving forward. It may be used to help you go back to school for training or to help you with costs associated with living independently and obtaining a stable job.