Joint Custody or Shared Custody: By Either Name Does It Really Work?

According to Divorce Lawyer Source and other sources, only about twenty percent of all divorces involving child custody result in a shared (or joint) custody arrangement.  Put another way, as you would suspect, in most divorce cases, one parent, (usually, the mother), gets sole physical custody and the other parent, (usually, the father), gets reasonable child visitation.

As Augusta, Georgia divorce attorneys, we, (at The Goolsby Law Firm, LLC), have seen both arrangements work.  In other words, while our experience with child custody has probably followed the norm, we have seen that shared (joint) child custody can work in some situations.  Each case is different.  But while shared (joint) custody may work for some families, it is simply not very practicable in others.  One practical issue involves challenges faced by school-aged children who are expected to go from one parent's house to another, from week to week.  Can't you see the problems such a child might face?  In other words, there are many practical issues which you must discuss with your divorce lawyer before agreeing to a shared (joint) child custody arrangement.

What other practicle problems are presented by a shared (joint) child custody arrangement?  Do you believe shared (joint) child custody can work?