You and your spouse have decided to separate, but one of the issues you have is that both of you work full-time jobs. As a result, you both have days where you can’t have custody, and there are responsibilities that you need to be able to take care of when your child isn’t with you.
Creating a parenting plan and custody schedule for two working parents isn’t always simple, but it is possible to work out a solution. Even if you both work 9-to-5 jobs, you still need to find a way to make joint custody work for you.
Busy schedules? Find alternative child care
If you and your spouse both work the same kinds of schedules where you’ll be out of the home from around 8 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. each day, then setting up your custody schedule should be relatively straightforward. You will set up the weekday schedule first, keeping your child in one home or the other by the day or week. Some parents also opt for a biweekly schedule.
Then, you need to look at the weekends. You could choose to alternate them with the other parent or have one parent take Saturday on the week they have custody while the other parent takes Sunday.
Once you have a basic custody plan in place, you should start looking into other options for child care. For instance, if you live close to family, then you may want to ask if they would be fine monitoring your child once they come home from school and until you get home from work. Your spouse might opt for a babysitter or daycare if they don’t have family nearby, too.
Joint custody can work even when you both work
You do need to be realistic about your commitments and find a schedule that gives you as much time with your child as possible. Consider which home your child would be more comfortable in as well as factors such as how close you are to their school or a support system that can help watch over them.
Create your plan to submit to the court. If you need to make changes in the future, remember that a custody modification may be possible as your circumstances evolve and change.