Does shared parental responsibility mean equal time spent with the child?
It can do but not necessarily. Community expectations were that this would be the case, however the changes do not overcome any practical difficulty of the child spending equal time with each parent. However the Court must consider whether spending equal time with each parent is in the best interest of the child and if it decides it is must consider making an Order. If the Court decides against equal time it must consider whether spending substantial and significant time with the other parent is in the child’s best interests. Substantial and significant time is defined as including weekdays and weekends and is time that allows the parent to be involved int he child’s daily routine and both parent and child be involved in occasions that are of special significance to each other. Courts will now be able to take into account the times when parents fail to fulfill their major parenting responsibilities, such as not paying child support or not turning up for a contact handover.
Related Questions
- My child currently lives at two different addresses because of shared parental responsibility. Which address shall I use for my child when applying for school admission?
- Does equal shared parental responsibility mean both parents spend equal time with their children?
- What does shared parental responsibility mean?
