Joint Physical Care
Joint physical care is when both parents share physical placement of
the child(ren). Simply defined, joint physical care allows the
child(ren) to live with each parent 50% of the time during the year.
Research has shown that child(ren) need equal access to both parents
and joint physical care accomplishes this challenge. Parenting
schedules are established to determine when each parent has the
child(ren) living with them. The most frequent joint physical
care schedule is one week at moms, the next week at dads, and
holidays are usually alternated. The State of Iowa, allows parents
to determine what parenting schedule best meets the needs of their
child(ren). Joint physical care is established in Iowa Statute
598.41(5)(a).
Iowa Statute
598.1(4) states, "Joint physical
care" means an award of physical care of a minor child to both
joint legal custodial parents under which both parents have rights and
responsibilities toward the child including, but not limited to, shared
parenting time with the child, maintaining homes for the child,
providing routine care for the child and under which neither parent has
physical care rights superior to those of the other parent.
Iowa Statute
598.41(5)(a) currently states, “If joint legal custody is awarded to
both parents, the court may award joint physical care to both joint
custodial parents upon the request of either parent. Prior to
ruling on the request for the award of joint physical care, the court
may require the parents to submit, either individually or jointly, a
proposed joint physical care parenting plan. A proposed joint
physical care parenting plan shall address how the parents will make
decisions affecting the child, how the parents will provide a home for
the child, how the child’s time will be divided between the parents and
how each parent will facilitate the child’s time with the other parent,
arrangements in addition to court-ordered child support for the child’s
expenses, how the parents will resolve major changes or disagreements
affecting the child including changes that arise due to the child’s age
and developmental needs, and any other issues the court may require.
If the court denies the request for joint physical care, the
determination shall be accompanied by specific findings of fact and
conclusions of law that the awarding of joint physical care is not in
the best interest of the child.”