Navigating Shared Custody With Young Children: A Qualitative Study of Fathers’ Experiences

Shared custody has become an increasingly common arrangement in post-divorce families in Portugal, raising questions about how fathers adapt to this parenting model. This qualitative study investigates how fathers navigate shared custody, particularly regarding their fathering roles and the transition to a new way of coparenting. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted with Portuguese fathers of children (4–10 years) under shared custody. Content analysis revealed that shared custody arrangements allowed fathers to develop an active role in all domains of their children’s lives. Fathers were committed to providing an environment favorable to their children’s well-being. Achieving cooperative coparenting was described as an effortful and gradual process. However, the transition to shared custody brings greater individual demands, namely in finding the balance between personal life and performing the various practical tasks necessary for childcare. These results contribute to public policies that encourage the maintenance of father-child bonds in different family configurations.