You used to believe that you and your spouse were on the same page about most everything. But it turns out that was just a facade. In fact, the fissures are more evident every day. Now, you’re headed for a divorce.
You may have thought that you had all the child custody issues ironed out. But a new division arose over extracurricular activities. One of you supports allowing the kids to be involved in contact sports while the other is worried about concussion risk.
Which parent makes the choice for kids’ extracurricular activities?
As with all things related to the care of your children, it is always best for co-parents to present a united front and be on the same page when addressing major issues. But the reality is that playing contact sports has its inherent risks. The possibility of concussion is quite real in football, soccer and even basketball and other sports.
In the case of divorced parents, the parent who is responsible for making these decisions for the kids may be different from the one who shares 50-50 custody with their ex-partner.
Physical custody versus legal custody
Florida family law courts recognize a difference between physical custody (the time the child spends with each parent) and legal custody (which parent is responsible for making the major decisions about the child’s medical care, education, participation in extracurricular activities, etc.).
In fact, the parenting plan that parents seeking joint custody submit to the court must address these legal subtleties that turn out to have a great deal of relevance when parents’ opinions on child-rearing differ wildly.
