When parents separate, this is usually the number one question on their minds. It is not easy to get full custody of your children and shut the other parent out of the children’s lives because your marriage did not work. Parents who were rearing their children together are more likely to get shared custody. An absent parent or one who has abused, abandoned, or neglected the children will have a much tougher time proving the case that his/her involvement is in the “best interests of the children.” In some cases, the court will grant supervised visitation to allow a questionable parent to build a relationship with the child and if these visits go well, this parent can work himself/herself up to unsupervised overnight visits.