When a child is involved in a divorce, the most important thing is to make sure he or she goes to a safe, supportive home environment with one or both of his or her parents. It’s vital to note that a court may overrule either parent’s wishes when it comes to custody, even if they’ve determined custody preferences on their own. This is because a court wants to guarantee a child’s safety and that the child’s best interests are at the heart of any custody arrangement.
Connecticut recognizes that children who grow up with both parents in their lives do better emotionally and psychologically in most cases, unless there is reason to restrict a parent from the child’s life. For that reason, there is a presumption that joint custody is in the child’s best interests.
There is no question that each parent may have a different idea of what’s in the best interests of their child. One may focus on academics, for example, while the other focuses on the child’s comfort or ability to grow up with more space in the home. The court does consider a variety of factors before stating what it believes is in the child’s best interests.
As two parents who want to work out a parenting plan that is good for your child, it’s a wise choice to develop a plan before you go to court. In most cases, reasonable plans are accepted and approved by the judge. If there is a problem, the judge will address it and give the parents a chance to discuss why the plan is as it is for their child.
Source: Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries, “Best Interest of the Child Standard in Connecticut,” accessed June 15, 2018
