How important is the ability of parents to communicate with one another?
Clearly the most important factor in deciding joint legal custody is the capacity of the parents to communicate and to reach shared decisions affecting the child’s welfare. Indeed, joint custody should not be awarded in the absence of a record of mature conduct on the part of the parents evidencing an ability to effectively communicate with each other concerning the best interest of the child, and then only when it is possible to make a finding of a strong potential for such conduct in the future.