Conference quokka::non_custodial_parents

241.0. "Joint Custody with Primary Placement??" by NSTG::SHEEHAN (Neil Sheehan NIO/B18 Dtn. 285-2567) Mon Dec 21 1992 07:58

 I need some advice on a proposal that the GAL involved in our
 divorce/custody case is proposing to us. The proposal and possible
 recomendation to the court is "Joint Physical Custody with Primary
 Placement". What the GAL told me this means is that our two daughters
 would remain going to school during the school year in my/their home town
 and continue to have their primary residence there. However they would
 still spend equal time with their mother who lives in another town approx.
 16 miles away and we would continue to share physical custody. I'm a
 bit concearned about this proposal and possible recomendation to the
 court because it just doesn't sound right to me. Also their mother and I 
 continue to disagree on a lot of things concearning what is best for
 our daughters. Their mother is unwilling to take up residence in the
 town where our daughters reside/attend school even though she does work
 in this town but rather wants to continue to commute them back and forth
 to school from her current residence with her relatives two of the days during
 the the school week in order to maintain a 50/50 shared parenting schedule.
 Our daughters are in the first and second grade and my personal feelings is
 that the current situation is becoming disruptive to our daughters social
 interaction with other kids they attend school and extracurricular activities
 with.

 Any help, advice or recomendations appreciated

 Thanks!

    Neil....

    Neil,

    About then only thing I can tell you is that if you go into court,
    you will only have about a 10% chance of winning and it will be
    _extremely_ disruptive to your children.  IMHO it looks like the
    current deal may be the best of the lousy options.  Just about
    any _reasonable_ solution is preferable to going into court.

    fred();

    I hope things worked out OK.  The lack of a follow-up response
    generally indicates things went down the drain.
    
    It looks to me like the GAL was playing word games.  When "Primary
    Placement" comes into the picture, it generally equals custody while 
    "Joint Physical Custody" then becomes a bill of goods somebody bought. 
    
                                         Kurt