Divorce is an act that impacts the entire family, especially if you have minor children. Not only will it change your lifestyle, but you’ll be seeing less of your children. One of the best ways to ease this transition is creating a joint-custody arrangement with your soon to be ex. This will make the divorce easier on everyone in the family if you can come to an agreement that works for everyone.

Though it may seem contradictory, research indicates the children who spend time living with both of their parents, instead of one parent exclusively experience less stress. This is said to be true even if you and your ex do not get along. For this reason, it’s worthwhile to make an effort to share custody of your children in order to give them the best possible chance at a sense of normalcy.

Some people attribute the reason for this to be that children have access to twice as many resources. In this instance resources refers to anything from finances to extended family members to two homes. It is even believed that children who live with both parents feel calmer because they consistently see that both of their parents are doing well instead of worrying about that parent being alone.

The stability of living with both parents has also been shown to reduce stress in children. Most people think that having to transport or shuffle kids between two households will create more stress, but in many cases having a clear custody agreement that explains where the children will be at all times will have the opposite effect. Children who spend equal times with both parents fare better than those who primarily spend the majority their time with one parent. In those instances when the custody split is unbalanced, children tend to display more signs of stress and instability. The benefit of having and spending time with two loving parents will outweigh any drawbacks of having to split their time between two households.

We understand that losing any time with your child will be difficult. However, sharing custody with your ex will likely help your child have a happier, more stable, and overall less stressful childhood.

**Disclaimer: The content used in the article is not to be used as legal advice and is for illustration and general informational purposes only. If you have questions about your particular situation, please contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.