In shared custody arrangements, mothers and fathers share childcare responsibilities roughly equally – even if they no longer live together. This allows children to maintain a close relationship with both parents after their separation. This system also offers many advantages for the parents themselves. Separated mothers are no longer overwhelmed by the triple burden of work, children, and household responsibilities. Thanks to the father's childcare involvement, they can work more and often take on more demanding and better-paid positions. They also have significantly more free time because they no longer have to care for the children after work. For fathers, this creates the opportunity to actively participate in their children's upbringing and remain connected to their children's lives despite the separation. Shared custody means a higher quality of life for everyone – children, fathers, and mothers.
Shared care also works in cases of conflictual relationship termination.
Arguments for Shared Custody:
We have compiled a number of reasons for shared custody and contrasted them with the arguments of single parents. This paper summarizes the essential arguments for one or the other form of custody, regardless of whether the stated justifications are true or false, ideological or rational, reasonable or scandalous. Those in favor of sole custody generally defend the mother's right to care for the children.
Literature on shared parenting
For further literature on shared parenting, we refer to the international organization ICSP (International Council on Shared Parenting), which compiles scientific work in this field worldwide.