Can Different Children In The Same Family Have Different Custody Arrangements?
Divorce is hard for everyone, but it is the hardest for families with minor children. Divorce lawyers and mediators will tell you that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for co-parenting. You might know a family that has a harmonious co-parenting relationship to which you could only aspire, and you might know another family where the parents cannot stand to be in the same room even for a short time, to the extent that they must rely on extended family members to offer their houses as neutral meeting points when the children go from one parent’s house to the other. Likewise, having the children spend weekdays with Mom and weekends with Dad is a fairly common arrangement, but it is by no means the only option. You and your ex-spouse can agree on whichever time sharing schedule works best for you; if you have more than one child together, you can even have a different parenting time schedule for each child. A Birmingham child custody lawyer can help you and your ex-spouse agree on a parenting plan for your children.
Is Split Custody Right for Your Family?
In most families with more than one child, the children travel together from one parent’s house to the other’s. In other words, they spend 365 nights per year under the same roof as their siblings, regardless of which parent is with them on which night. If your child custody case goes to trial and the court has to decide on a parenting plan, then your parenting plan will probably end up this way. The family law courts hold that it is in a child’s best interest to have as much stability as possible, which includes staying together with their siblings. There are some cases, though, where it is not in a child’s best interest to be with their siblings every day, or when other factors outweigh sibling togetherness.
Split custody is when each child in the family has a different parenting schedule. For example, perhaps, Sister stays with Dad from mid-June to mid-July while Brother stays with Mom, but they switch houses from mid-July to mid-August. This could be because Sister’s continued participation in the school cheerleading team requires her to attend practice at school in the weeks leading up to the school year, and the school is much closer to Mom’s house than to Dad’s. In other cases, split custody arrangements may be due to a child’s medical special needs. If only Mom’s house is equipped to accommodate the child’s needs overnight, then the child cannot spend nights at Dad’s house, but the other siblings can have overnight (or even much longer) stays with Dad. Split custody is also an option in high conflict families, where it is best for the siblings to spend less time together and to have one-on-one time with each parent.
Contact Peeples Law About Difficult Co-Parenting Situations
A Birmingham family law attorney can help you set up a parenting plan, or even multiple parenting plans if necessary. Contact Peeples Law today to schedule a consultation.
