Custody of a Special Needs Child

 Posted on September 20, 2019 in Family Law

Divorce and child custody are complicated enough for the average family. For families that have a child with special needs, figuring out the best living arrangement and caretaking responsibilities is even harder. Extra attention needs to be given to creating a carefully drafted parenting plan that takes all of the child’s best interests into account. An experienced Hinsdale child custody attorney will be able to help you throughout the divorce process.

Shared Custody Is Often the Best Custody Arrangement

Numerous U.S. and international studies have shown that children thrive the most when they have both parents in their lives. As such, shared custody is usually a desirable outcome for custody decisions. Even if the child lives primarily with one parent, as long as the other parent has a constant presence in their child’s life, the child will be much better off than if one parent is seldom around.

Parenting is a demanding job. For children with special needs, the demands placed on parents are greater. Having two parents play an equal role in caretaking, driving the child to appointments and school, and homemaking can be a great asset to everyone involved. However, in certain situations, it may be best to fight for sole custody if the other parent has proven themselves to be unfit for the job.

Some Parents Cannot Cope with the Extra Demands Placed Upon Them

A child with special needs has a mental, emotional, or medical health condition that sets them apart from the majority of other children. Whether your child suffers from chronic depression, cancer, or Azbruger’s, there are sure to be hurdles to overcome that most parents, and their children, do not have to think or worry about. The stress and emotional toll placed on parents who have children with special needs are sometimes too much to handle. If this responsibility is too much for the other parent to cope with, and they have proven their inadequacy or unreliability time and time again, their parenting may not be in the best interest of your child, and visitation, as opposed to shared custody, may be best.

Extra Child Support May Be Needed

Custodial parents of children with disabilities need to take into account the extra financial costs they are up against. According to the CDC, the lifetime cost for a person with an intellectual disability is $1,014,000 (in 2003 dollars). These costs can be lower, or much higher, depending on the individual and the medical, emotional, or mental complication they are living with.

Contact a Hinsdale Child Custody Lawyer

To speak to a compassionate, skilled DuPage County custody attorney, contact us today at the Law Office of Martoccio & Martoccio. Call to schedule a free consultation with one of our custody or support lawyers today at 630-920-8855.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/documents/IntellectualDisabilities.pdf

https://sciencenordic.com/children-and-youth-forskningno-psychology/kids-who-live-with-both-parents-in-turn-fare-the-best/1427839