If you are going through a divorce, keep it in mind that joint custody is more common than sole custody. This is because children are better off with both parents than one parent. Here are a few examples of joint custody schedules that may work.
Alternating Week Schedule
In this case, you get the kid for one week, and the other parent gets them for the other week, and so on and so forth. It is a fairly simple joint custody schedule that can work for every couple willing to try it. This is a 50-d0 schedule because you get to spend exactly the same amount of time with the kids. One of the advantages of this schedule is that it encourages consistency, which may benefit some children. You also avoid interrupting the school week if you choose one day of the weekend for the exchange. However, you and the kids will have to bear being apart from each other for one whole week.
Every Weekend Schedule
For this schedule, one parent lives with the kids during the weekday, and the other gets them for the weekend. In this case, the weekday parent gets to spend more time with the children than the weekend parent. This schedule is also consistent and easy to follow, and you don't take too long before seeing the kids as you would with the alternating week schedule. It's also great if one parent is too busy during the weekdays to take care of the children because the other parent can have them. Its main disadvantage is that the same parent gets to spend time with the kids every single weekend.
3-4-4-3 Schedule
This schedule is designed to give one parent three days with the kids after which the other parent takes them four days. The following week, the first parent gets the kids for four days, and the other parent keeps them for three days. This way, you don't have to stay away from the children for too long (just a few days). However, it can be very disruptive to the kid's school days because you will be making midweek exchanges.
Two Weeks Each Schedule
This last example is where one parent keeps the child for two weeks, and the other takes over for the next two weeks. As you can see, the best thing about this schedule is the stability it gives to the child. However, it can be hard for parents who are used to being with their children because they have to go for two whole weeks without the young ones.
Contact an attorney like Karen Robins Carnegie PLC for more information.
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