What Family Court Gets Wrong About Parenting Time | André Rainey

Most parents brace for the fight over money and assume custody will sort itself out. What if the custody process itself is what turns co-parents into opponents?

André Rainey, Chair of the New York Affiliate of the National Parents Organization and former mayor of Peekskill, joins the show to share what four years in New York family court taught him about shared parenting.

Katherine and André explore how the custody process can drive co-parents apart and why mediation works best before a judge decides anything. Parents facing court get practical steps to use right away.

What you'll learn:

How joint custody differs from shared custodyWhy a standard schedule can leave one parent as a visitorWhat to document while your case moves through courtWhy more parenting time shouldn't be a way to dodge child support

Highlights:

(0:00) Meet André Rainey

(3:14) What four years in New York family court taught him

(5:04) Why a "joint custody" schedule meant four days a month

(7:44) Why domestic violence and shared parenting advocates see court so differently

(9:31) Why mediation should come first

(11:54) Joint custody versus shared custody, explained