Do I have to allow overnight stays?

Sharing care can be difficult when the children are not developmentally ready for some arrangements. It is not unusual for parents to want 50:50 care even while a child is breast-feeding. Do you have to agree to what the other parent wants if you don’t think they are ready?

The law says that parents have equal shared parental responsibility. The meaning of this is that parents each have a say in the major decisions to do with the children. In most circumstances, this does not mean that the children spend the same amount of time with each parent.

Whether the children are ready for overnight stays depends on what is in their best interests. Parents often disagree about what is best for their children, taking their age, level of maturity and the complexity of arrangements into account. If possible, it is best that the parents can talk about what is best for their children and make arrangements that are suitable for now as well as changes that can be made in the future.

What we provide at Blackboard Mediation is a suitable forum for these discussions to occur. Do you have to agree to overnight stays? No, you cannot be forced to agree to any arrangements unless the matter goes to court. Should there be an open discussion about how arrangements are going to affect your children? Absolutely.

If you would like any details on how you can resolve conflict with your child’s other parent, please do not hesitate to contact our office.