Co-parenting, also known as shared parenting, is defined  as an arrangement in which both parents have the right and responsibility of being involved in the raising of the child(ren).  The original meaning was mostly related to united families.  However, since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989, a principle was established that a child has the right to maintain a stable relationship with both parents, even if they are separated or divorced; unless there is a recognized need to separate him/her from one or both parents.  Such a right is based on the concept that to be a parent is a commitment that an adult takes with respect to his/her children, not to the other parent, whereas it cannot be influenced by a separation of the parents.  Thus, the concept of co-parenting was extended to separated and divorced families as well.

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The term co-parenting is often used as a synonym for joint physical custody given its application in cases of divorce or child custody matters.   The principle opposes the habit of granting custody of a child to a single parent and promotes co-parenting as a protection of the right of children to maintain access to both parents equally.

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A Shared Earning/Shared Parenting Marriage is defined  as a marriage where the partners choose at the outset of the marriage (and prior to conceiving children) to share the work of child-raising, earning money, house chores and recreation time in nearly equal fashion across all four domains.

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References

1. Definition of Co-Parenting, Wikipedia