Child Custody

Child Custody is about which of the parents makes the important decisions about the life of the children and about who will take care of them. The internationally accepted principle is that "the child resides in accordance with the best interest of the child". The USA, UK, Canada and Australia are covered in this article. In addition, you will find the different aspects of Custody, like how to setup a Custody Plan, the types of custody, how courts decide on custody matters, Child Custody Schedules and more.

How to get Custody

Getting custody can be hard. Even if you try to get shared custody, your ex might be against it. So, if you expect difficulties getting custody and you want to arm yourself against it, we recommend you to read this book: Custody Strategies. Somewhere in these 1200 pages you will find your strategy. There are separate versions for women and men.

The way how Custody is organized during the divorce process is different from country to country. We explain the situation for the U.S.A., the U.K., Canada and Australia below.

The United Nations drew up the "United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child". Today, the Convention on the Rights of the Child have been ratified by more than 193 countries. Important articles for children of divorce are of this convention:

Article 3: The child resides in accordance with the best interest of the child.
Article 9: The child's right not be separated from his or her parents against the child's will.
Article 10: If the parents live in different countries, the child has the right to maintain regular direct contact with both parents. All countries are obliged to cooperate to give the child free access and exit of the country for family reunification purposes.

Child Custody in the U.S.A.

This article addresses how to get custody, explains something about the United Nations Convention on the Children, gives a definition of Custody, explains which state law applies, describes the types of custody that exist in the USA and what aspects are important for courts when they decide on custody in a divorce case. Read more....

Child Custody in the United Kindom.

In the United Kingdom agreements on Custody in the U.K. are made by the parents themselves. The courts are involved in rare cases only. As a result, divorcing parents in the United Kingdom do not face the difficulties and the frustrations the divorcing parents encounter in countries where the court decides. Read more....

Child Custody in Australia.

Until 2006 Custody in Australia was very much in favor of the mother. Today, both parents must be treated equally and things started to change. Progress toward equal treatment of women and men is slowly, but each year more fathers are entitled to custody. Read more....

Child Custody in Canada.

In Canada couples can make their own agreement on the custody of their children. The arrangement has to be included in the separation agreement and is legally binding. In Canada, most divorced couples choose for joint custody. Read more....

Child Custody Mediation

“Mediation” is a process through which mutual agreement can be reached among a conflict. All parties involved participate voluntarily. The benefits of mediation is that all parties involved win, the process is cheaper and much quicker. Hiring your own divorce attorney is costly, often results in a fight in court and the procedure takes a lot of time. Read the article

Custody plan

When filing for a divorce with children, the custody plan or parenting plan is the most important part. Ideally, the custody plan is created by both parents in mutual agreement.

A solid custody plan takes the stress out of the relationship between the parents and the children. In the USA a custody plan or parenting plan must be approved by the court and is legally binding. Tips for Building a Custody Plan

Custody Schedules.

It is important to have a daily routine for the children. The routines are different for the diverse age groups. Below are examples of schedules for Custody.

These examples can provide you with a basis for the development or evaluation of your own custody schedule. For each age group, options are provided for the type of divorce you have to cope with. Read the details....

The 6 dimensions of custody of children

In dealing with custody matters it is very important and even very challenging to separate the co-parenting issues from the other issues between you and your ex partner. Raising children or jointly parenting the children is a difficult concept. When we talk about child custody, what do we mean?Read the details....

Father Custody

When requesting father custody, fathers will not be discriminated any more by the courts. In the early days of divorce, the general belief was that it was better for the children to stay with their mother. Today this insight is very different. Fathers are as fit as mothers to take care of their children. Read on.

Child Custody Divorce

Custody is a legal arrangement for the decision making power of the parents over the life of their children after the divorce. These decisions refer to the most important aspects of the children's lives: health, education, care, religion and maintenance. Read more....