I’m looking for some perspective from other dads who have been through something similar.
My wife filed for divorce a few months ago. We have two young daughters, and from the beginning my focus has been on being an active, involved father. Since the separation, we’ve been caring for the girls close to 50/50.
Recently we had our temporary custody hearing. We were able to reach an agreement before going into court, so there wasn’t a full hearing. The temporary arrangement gives her 8 overnights and me 6 overnights in a two-week cycle. We also agreed that neither of us pays child support at this stage, and daycare expenses will be split based on our proportional incomes rather than 50/50.
Overall, I feel pretty good about the outcome because I was able to avoid a much more one-sided arrangement, and I still have significant parenting time with my girls. The only part I’m struggling with emotionally is that she still has majority custody, even if it’s by just two nights every two weeks.
For those of you who’ve been through temporary orders, did your final custody arrangement end up changing later? Did anyone start with something like a 57/43 split and eventually move to 50/50? I’m trying to stay focused on the long game and what’s best for my daughters, but I’d appreciate hearing from anyone with a similar experience.