Should I push for sole decision making?
A divorce can be a tough and overwhelming experience for the couples undergoing it. But it gets all the more complicated when it involves a child. There is more at stake when you have to consider the welfare of your child.
As parents, you both want what’s best for your kid. Divorce is often even harder for the kids than it is for the adults. So as parents, you always want to do what is in your child’s best interests. But what if your ex isn’t making the right decisions for your child? Should you push for sole decision making?
What is sole decision-making?
Sole decision-making in a divorce case which involves a child means that only one parent has the legal right to make decisions with regards to how a child lives and is raised. It pertains to major matters such as education, health care, extra-curricular activities, religion, etc. This is as opposed to joint decision-making where both parents, although divorced, have a say in decisions involving the child.
Should I push for sole decision making?
Ultimately, the decision to push for sole decision making is yours to make. You have a better knowledge of how your ex is like with your child. So if you feel as though he or she is not in a good capacity to make decisions with you regarding your child or if, for justified grounds, you cannot see yourselves co-parenting, then it is advisable to aim for sole decision making.
However, a joint decision-making arrangement is ussually better for the child, not to mention easier to attain. So as long as there is still a glimmer of hope that you and your ex can try to agree on matters and work together to raise your child, you can make-do with a joint arrangement.
A joint decision-making arrangement does not mean that you can’t negotiate the parameters of the parenting plan. There is the option of getting a parenting coordinator decision-maker, who is a third-party to your family to whom you can give authority to make decisions in case of disagreements.
In any case, the decision is up to you. After all, you know your ex and your child best. A helpful piece of advice is not to decide on your current emotions. Instead, picture the situation several months from now and determine what will be in the best interest of you, your ex, and your child.