When parents divorce, they want to make sure that their children’s lives face as little disruption as possible when it comes to custody and visitation. What many parents do is decide to follow a 50-50 custody arrangement setup where their children spend one week with one parent and one week with the other. However, this may not be the best setup for many families.
Why is the one-week-on, one-week-off schedule unsustainable for some?
While the week-on, week-off schedule works well for some families, it can be devastating for others. It may be disruptive for parents who have strict work schedules, causing them to have to alter their work arrival and leave times. It can also make children who are extremely close to both parents miss the other parent to a level where it causes them emotional distress.
What are some options to the 50-50 week-on, week-off schedule?
There are so many other child custody arrangements that can work for parents who are sharing 50-50 custody. Some parents may decide to do a two-weeks-on, two-weeks-off schedule. This allows children to spend more time with each parent, and it allows parents to have more consistent, less disruptive work schedules.
Another option that parents sharing 50-50 custody could consider is the 2-2-5-5 schedule. The children spend two days with one parent and two with the other. That’s then followed up with five days with the first parent and five with the other. This helps maintain a level of consistency that’s emotionally amenable to the children’s needs.
What can parents seeking help with custody arrangements do?
Divorced parents who need help planning out custody arrangements that work for all may benefit by working with lawyers who have experience in this area. A family law lawyer may help devise plans that keep children and parents as happy as possible.