Whether you work in a professional firm that designs new buildings or in a manufacturing facility, overtime can be a common requirement for successful professionals.
As a salaried worker in an educated field, when there are big projects due, your employer will likely expect you to put in those extra hours regardless of the fact that you are exempt from overtime pay. If you are an hourly worker in a factory setting, your employer may demand overtime because they know it is more affordable to pay existing workers overtime wages than to hire and train new workers for only part-time demand.
While you may welcome what overtime could mean for your income or future promotion prospects, will it have a negative impact on your ability to seek residential responsibilities or parenting time in a divorce?
The demands of your job can influence the terms set for custody
People of all professions make excellent parents, and the work that you do will not reduce your ability to ask for shared custody, including residential responsibility, which refers to where the children live. Whether you just want occasional parenting time or an even split, your career will not limit your rights but will instead inform the way that the courts approach the decisions for your family’s circumstances.
For example, if you explain that frequent overtime is part of your job, you may be able to include language in your parenting plan that requires some flexibility if you need to reschedule or that alternately allows you to maintain the parenting time, provided that you secure adequate child care. The courts will generally support the inclusion of both parents as something in the best interests of the children.
Having happy and successful parents will benefit the children
While it is true that work obligations can sometimes detract from family relationships, children learn to model the behavior and lifestyle that they see their parents enjoy.
Showing how important it is to prioritize your career and to balance family responsibilities with fiscal ones can teach children responsibility and the sense of work ethic that will benefit them for years to come. Instead of viewing your job as a hindrance to your custody rights, look at it for what it really is. It is not only an opportunity for you to provide for your children but also to set a good example for them.
Highlighting your career and the positive light, especially if your ex is contentious about sharing residential responsibilities and parenting time, can make it clear to the courts that you intend to prioritize the children.
