Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines

Appendix. Will Shared Parenting Work For You? Questions To Consider

Effective January 1, 2022

Shared Parenting requires not just a sharing of time and responsibility for raising the child, but a conscious effort to create two homes that are highly unified when taking care of a child and making decisions for the child. The following questions should be seriously considered before deciding to work within a Shared Parenting agreement during the time that your child is being raised in your home.

1. Do you feel you have been thoroughly informed regarding all that is required of parents who practice Shared Parenting?

  • Do you understand all of the things a parent needs to do in one’s own household and in coordination with the other parent’s household when committing to Shared Parenting?

  • Do you understand what the court expects of parents who commit to Shared Parenting?

2. Do you feel all of your children would benefit from spending nearly equal amounts of time in the homes of both parents?

3. Do you feel you and your child’s other parent make higher quality decisions when you make those decisions together?

4. Are there specific areas where one of you is better equipped to make decisions?

  • Do you and the other parent agree about this?

5. Are you willing to give greater weight or acknowledge the opinion of the parent with greater expertise?

6. Do you take steps to shield your child from disagreements?

  • Does the other parent take steps to shield your child from your disagreements?

  • Does your child believe you have significant disagreements in child-relevant areas?

7. Do you take steps to portray a positive relationship to your child?

  • Does the other parent take steps to portray a positive relationship to your child?

  • Does your child believe you and the other parent like each other?

8. Does the stress of working through differences with the other parent impact your daily life negatively?

9. Have you or the other parent relied on courts to resolve differences in this case?

10. Do you believe your child would be happiest in a Shared Parenting arrangement?

11. If other people assist you in caring for your child, do you believe they would willingly assist you in fulfilling the commitments of a Shared Parenting relationship?