Intended custody arrangements

If you have not read yesterday's post, you really should. It's an amazing turn of events! I stated yesterday that the lawyer cleared up some misconceptions and I now believe my husband and I can come to agreement on things. This may be confusing to those who are avidly following my blog, because I stated my misconceptions as facts in an earlier post. Rather than telling you about my previous misconceptions, I'll just launch into the proper understanding. The intended custody arrangements are joint legal custody and I get full physical custody.

Physical custody is who she lives with. Typically, the person she lives with is also the caretaker of the child. This means that if I am awarded complete physical custody of my child, I make all the decisions regarding her care. It will ultimately be my job to provide for her, make decisions for her, and be her parent.

Joint legal custody means that both parties will weigh in on decisions for my daughter, but the final decision lies with the one awarded the caretaker of the child. Actually, this is a huge relief to me. I was so overwhelmed with how to make all the decisions by myself.

An example in this scenario is if her father decided she should learn to play 5 instruments by the time she was 7, he could ask me. I would likely think that's too aggressive, so how about she choose one instrument. If we could not reach an agreement, I would get to make the final decision. This is a great power, and with it comes great responsibility. Please pray for wisdom.

He has been asking for joint legal custody this whole time, and if I had known what it was, I would have gladly given it to him. I called him yesterday to tell him that I was ok with joint legal custody. He said he thinks he's ok with that, but he's not sure. This scenario is not in place until all the papers are signed. Please pray that he signs the papers and awards me sole custody. With everything he's done, I truly cannot trust him with her.

Above all, I am most concerned with my daughter's safety. Please pray with me that her safety will be ensured! Please pray that she will never have to experience the grief of being assaulted by her dad. Please pray that I will get the funds to get this custody arrangement started. I need $2,500. If you feel that you can help, that would be a tremendous blessing, no matter how small the gift. Whether you are praying or sharing funds, I thank you so much for everything you're doing! Together, we can keep my daughter safe.