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The working parent may have a disadvantage in divorce

On Behalf of | Aug 10, 2018 | Child Custody |

You value your career and you feel happy to be a working parent. While you love your kids, you still want to stay in the workforce and try to find some balance.

While that may work during your marriage, if you and your spouse decide to get divorced, it could put you at a disadvantage.

One thing that courts look at when deciding how to divide custody is which parent is the “primary caregiver.” This is someone who is more hands-on with the kids, spends more time with them and takes care of more of the day-to-day tasks. Examples include getting the kids ready for school, packing their lunches, taking them to the doctor and putting them to bed at night.

Often, this primary caregiver has an easier time during a custody dispute because the court wants to give the children some consistency. If one parent works a lot and is only really involved on the weekends, that can work against them. A parent who stays home all of the time and really interacts with the children every day may get custody.

This used to be an issue that impacted men and women far differently, as men usually worked and women were the primary caregivers. Today, though, about 70.5 percent of women with children still work. Roughly 30 percent also make more money than their husbands, even when they also work. The role of the primary caregiver can be applied to a father or a mother.

As you and your spouse head to court, make sure you understand all of the legal options you have in Indiana.

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