There has been a shared parenting time movement going on for several years now. In Missouri and elsewhere, joint child custody is considered a good thing as it gives children access to both parents. Unfortunately, joint custody can certainly have its issues.
A woman in another state is looking at potential jail time due to a dispute over vaccinating her child. She does not want to do it, but the child’s father — who has joint custody — is insisting that it be done. As this issue could not be resolved in private, the matter was taken to court and a judge agreed that vaccinating the child — a 9-year-old boy — was in his best interests. The boy’s mother was given a deadline for having the vaccinations completed. If she does not meet that deadline, she could be taken into police custody.
Now, the vaccine debate is not the main point of sharing this story. The point is that parents do not always agree on issues big or small. When a joint custody agreement is in place and both parents share physical and legal custody, when they cannot come to an agreement going to court may be the only way to resolve the matter — which is not ideal.
Joint child custody has so many benefits for children and their parents. However, there are also those families who would better benefit from sole custody arrangements. Parents in Missouri can turn to legal counsel in order to help them fight for the custody plans that they believe will serve the best interests of their children now and in the future.
Source: msn.com, “Mom Would Rather Go to Jail Than Vaccinate Son”, Claudya Martinez, Oct. 3, 2017
