Personality conflicts and lingering issues from the divorce often make joint custody arrangements more difficult for New York parents. However, it is possible for two divorced people to be able to co-parent so long as they follow a set of rules that help them keep priorities straight and maintain respect.

The main focus in joint custody should be on the children. After all, they are the reason for the entire agreement. Their needs should come first and their best interests are paramount. They should be the main consideration in the custody schedule as well as when the two parents communicate. When negotiating the custody schedule, parents need to be conscious of how much time they really have in order to avoid over-committing themselves.

Parents also need to let go of what happened when they were married and focus on the present. Dwelling on the past could poison communications between the two parents and lead to conflict. One needs to separate how the other person is as spouse and focus on their parenting. Moreover, they need to be smart about choosing battles to avoid a contentious relationship. If not, they may find themselves back in family court with frequency. Finally, both parents need to be open-minded enough to be able to re-evlaute the custody agreement as necessary and make changes.

Hiring a custody attorney is the first step to building an enduring arrangement where both parents can work together. The first milestone is the negotiation of the custody agreement, and the attorney may help their client by keeping them levelheaded and realistic while working out the details of the divorce settlement. The custody agreement can have certain measures built into it that promote civil and open communication between the two parents while they are raising the children.