have posted this on legal but thought would try here as well, if no-one minds.......
although(allegedly)a lawyer I am no expert on family law, have been asked for advice, but really dont know the answers:
basic scenario is friend is on the verge of splitting with his dw. she works full time 9-5, he also works but mainly at weekends so spends a lot of time with dcs during week, & so wants shared residency. he doubts dw will agree (understandable as he is leaving her for ow , & cant afford to set up home on his own so will either have to live with ow or his parents)
is there any alternative if she wont agree to going through the courts? if it does go down that route, is there anything he can do in terms of legal rights of access to the dcs in the interim - he is worried that when he leaves, she may refuse to let him see dcs much or at all & also although he does most of childcare now, whether that would be outweighed by other factors?
i've said i think inevitably he will need to find a good family lawyer as i dont think this is something they are likely to resolve between them