Abstract
To preserve the exercise of parenting by both parents after marital separation, the law of joint legal custody seeks to balance parental roles. However, the conflicting dynamics of divorce can make it difficult to exercise parental responsibility jointly. Considering that, this multiple-case study sought to understand the experience of coparenting for three divorced couples living in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul who had joint legal custody of their children. Data were obtained by means of sociodemographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews and analyzed by Content Analysis. Even in cases where coparenting was satisfactorily exercised during marriage, the conflicts arising during the relationship crisis were perpetuated after divorce, influencing the coparenting. The aspects permeating the conjugal and coparenting relationship are mutually influenced, and the way parents exercise coparenting relates to the knowledge and information they have on the subject. Thus, investing in intervention programs, family mediation, and psychotherapy may help improving post-divorce coparenting.
Keywords:
Coparenting; Divorce; Joint Legal Custody; Child Custody; Family Relations