Three Positive Elements About Getting Legal Custody Of Your Children

Where the custody of your children is concerned, many people think solely about physical custody — in other words, the parent who physically lives with the children after a divorce. Another important type of custody about which to be aware is legal custody. If you are granted legal custody of your children, they won't be living with you, but you will have a say in any important matters involved in raising them. Arguing for legal custody with the help of your divorce attorney can be the right choice for many parents, and it provides the following positive elements.

You Get To Shape Their Future

For many parents who are divorcing, a major fear is not getting custody of the children — and thus not being able to play a role in shaping the children's future. When you get legal custody, you'll take pride in contributing to the decisions that will be important to your children in a number of ways. For example, if there's some debate over which high school activities your children will take part in, you can talk with them and with your ex-spouse to help them make sound decisions.

You Show Them That You're Interested

When you don't get any type of custody of your children after a divorce, it can often severely damage your relationship with them. If you didn't fight for custody, it sends your kids a message that you aren't interested in being a parent. Having legal custody shouldn't create any issues for you and your relationship with your children. This is especially true if you remain active in their lives by helping with decision making.

You Don't Have The Day-To-Day Hassle

There's little questioning that raising children is deeply rewarding and fulfilling — but there's also no denying that it can also be exhausting and can provide a constant source of stress, especially when you're doing it on your own after a divorce. Some people are more cut out for this work than others. For example, if you don't effectively manage your stress, and you thus have a bit of a temper at times, you may be reluctant to have physical custody of your kids because of concerns over how you might act on a day-by-day basis with them. When you retain legal custody, you don't have the daily stress but you can still play a role in the lives of your children.