Many differences in opinion could motivate people in Connecticut to divorce, but splitting parents will help their children if they can compromise about the rules for shared custody. When parents have different attitudes about raising children, they might undermine the consistency and structure that their children need between two households. A conscious focus on the best interests of the children along with a willingness to compromise could allow parents to negotiate a co-parenting plan that does not reduce the well-being of their children.

Ideally, two parents will meet face to face to discuss rules about bedtime, video games, smartphone use and what behavior deserves punishment. Successful compromises could emerge if each party gives something in order to get something. For example, a parent might allow the other parent to establish video game rules in exchange for a firm bedtime schedule.

The services of a professional mediator might support this effort. A mediator uses unbiased strategies to make sure that each party gets heard and then tries to broker an agreement. Parenting classes available through a family court might also help people agree on rules for the children. In general, parents tend to achieve better outcomes if they work toward compromise instead of taking the issue to court. A family court judge could make rulings that satisfy neither party.

When a person chooses to end a marriage, an attorney could describe how family law could determine the division of marital property, child custody and child or spousal support. Along with preparing paperwork to initiate a divorce, an attorney could inform the person about parental rights during negotiations about custody schedules, parental relocation or where the children will go to school. Legal opinions from an attorney could empower a person when making critical decisions about the divorce settlement.