In California, divorced parents face the challenge of maintaining their custody schedule at the same time as they work to earn a living. This is not always an easy thing to do as being responsible for the children involves set requirements and the need for unscheduled leave. Parents need to be realistic, but with the proper planning, they can still have some form of custody and a career.
The main thing is for parents to take a clear-eyed look at what is possible for them when they are in the process of negotiating the custody agreement. They should take care to request the amount of time that they can accommodate. A court will look at the parent’s work schedule in deciding how much time to award if the matter is ever litigated.
When it comes to their job, parents must make sure that they communicate their needs and situation with their employer in the hopes that the employer will work with them to allow them to maintain their custody schedule. As an employee, the parent should remain flexible to consider and implement different work arrangements that could further their efforts to be with their children when necessary. Parents should be prepared to take work home with them at night if their job allows it so that they can keep up with their workload.
A family law attorney may help their client determine what they think is possible in terms of a custody agreement and then work to help them negotiate that agreement with the other parent. If no agreement can be reached, the attorney might then help their client take the case to court and present it to the judge in the hopes of maximizing the parent’s custody time in view of their work obligations.
