Akron Shared Parenting Attorney

“Shared Parenting” is the term that Ohio uses for what is commonly known as joint custody. With shared parenting, the court allocates the parental rights and responsibilities for the care of the children to both parents, and each is considered to be the residential parent. Shared parenting does not necessarily mean that each parent will have the children half of the time. Further, a shared parenting plan does not mean that child support is not appropriate.

If you are contemplating a shared parenting arrangement, please contact the David A. Looney Co. LPA at 330-785-3337, or fill out our contact form for advice about your situation. With over 50 years of combined legal experience, we serve clients in the Summit, Portage, Stark, Medina, and Wayne counties of Ohio. We are aggressive, equipped and prepared to fight for you and help you solve your legal problems.

In order for the court to consider shared parenting, at least one of the parties must present to the court a proposed Shared Parenting Plan which covers the physical living arrangements, child support, provisions for medical care, school enrollment, holiday visitation, etc. Frequently, both parties can agree upon the terms to include in a Shared Parenting Plan, which they jointly submit to the court for approval to be included in either a divorce or dissolution proceeding.

The court must review the proposed plan and determine whether shared parenting is in the best interests of the child. In considering the best interests of the child, the court will consider:

• The ability of the parents to cooperate and make decisions jointly with respect to the children;
• The ability of each parent to encourage the sharing of love, affection, and contact between the child and the other parent;
• Any history of, or potential for, child abuse, spousal abuse, other domestic violence, or parental kidnapping by either parent;
• The geographic proximity of the parents to each other, as the proximity relates to the practical considerations of shared parenting;
• The recommendations of the guardian ad litem (GAL) of the child, if a GAL has been appointed.

The court can terminate a Shared Parenting Plan that was jointly proposed by the parties upon the request of either party. The court may also terminate a jointly proposed plan at any time it determines that the plan does not serve the child’s best interests.

The court can terminate a Shared Parenting Plan that was submitted and approved by one of the parties upon finding that it does not serve the child’s best interests.

The court further has jurisdiction to modify a Shared Parenting Plan based upon the best interests of the child.

The experienced family law attorneys at the David A. Looney Co. LPA can advise you about a shared parenting arrangement in your case. Call us at 330-785-3337, or fill out our contact form.