Many parents, when faced with a divorce, will immediately decide to file for full custody of their child. It might be an impulsive decision, or one based on anger or resentment toward the other parent. However, it is important to make every effort to consider what is in the best interests of your child or children when going through a custody battle, and temporary custody may be a good solution for this.
It is much better for the emotional development of children when they have healthy relationships with both parents. Therefore, the courts will always try and find a way to give custody to both parents unless one of the parents presents a risk or danger to the child.
Why would a parent decide on a temporary custody arrangement?
Temporary custody is an intermediate arrangement for the child while court proceedings take place. It attempts to give stable life to the child while more permanent changes are taking place.
If you are going through a stressful divorce, for example, you may want to focus all efforts on mediating with your former spouse and reaching a settlement. You do not want your children to be in a tense and stressful environment; therefore, you may feel that they would be happier if they were temporally living with other people, for example grandparents. In order to make this official, you might want to award the grandparents temporary custody while you get your life back on track.
If you are considering temporary custody for your child, it is vital that you think about how it will affect them and whether it is in their best interests.
Source: The Spruce, “Temporary Child Custody Proceedings,” accessed Jan. 05, 2018
