Divorce is one of the most emotionally and financially overwhelming experiences families can go through.
It isn’t just the spouses that bear the toll, but it’s also the children who face uncertainty.
One pressing issue that arises in the aftermath of a divorce is: who will the children stay with?
To help you or someone you know who is going through a divorce, we have compiled a list of the possible child custody arrangements to help ease the transition for both parents and kids.
Sole Custody
Sole custody involves a single parent responsible for looking after the child.
Further, it is divided into physical and legal sole custody.
All the decisions about a child’s upbringing and education are decided by the custodian parent in legal sole custody. In contrast, a child lives with a single parent in sole physical custody.
Visitation rights are available for the non-custodial parent, except in the following cases:
- The non-custodial parent is abusive.
- There are abandonment issues.
- The non-custodial parent has a criminal background.
Joint Custody
As the name suggests, the child lives with both the parents by splitting his/her time. Like sole custody, joint custody is too divided into physical and legal joint custody.
In some cases, the parents can get joint physical and legal custody, which involves a child living with both parents at different schedules. Both the parents can also make decisions for the child’s future upbringing.
If there is legal joint custody, one parent can reach out to court if the child’s decision is taken without their consent. While there will be no punishments, there are chances for heavy legal fees.
There are a few joint custody arrangement options which are as follows:
- Even split: In an even split, both the parents get to spend time with their child after every alternate week.
- Uneven split: This type of arrangement involves the child spending more time with one parent than the other. The child may visit the other parent during vacations or holidays.
- Weekend split: As the name suggests, one parent can keep the child for the whole week, except the weekends, where the other non-custodial is entitled to spend the time with the child.
Bird’s Nest Custody
Bird’s nest custody is a unique joint custody arrangement where the child lives in a central location.
Both the parents have to rotate and live with their children on different scheduled days.
This arrangement will naturally have certain hindrances in terms of the parents’ residences, work, etc.
Takeaway
It’s important to consider all aspects of your child’s mental and physical well-being when deciding custody arrangements following a divorce.
If you’re unable to reach an agreement with your spouse or can’t navigate the legal complications of child custody in divorce proceedings, reach out to LCPC Legal for qualified legal counsel!