Splitting custody: Is it right for your family?

Splitting custody is something that not many families do, but it can work for some. When you consider splitting custody, what you’re doing is thinking about how you can separate your children and have them on different custody schedules.

Most families don’t like this idea, because it means that their children may not see each other as often as they would in a traditional household. Others will like it more because it helps them separate children who are not getting along or who are at significantly different stages of their lives. That can be a benefit for everyone involved.

Here’s an example. Let’s say that you and your spouse have two children, 5 and 16. They are many years apart in age, and your 16-year-old child is starting to date, study for college and generally grow into adulthood. While it is beneficial for a 16-year-old sibling and 5-year-old sibling to bond, it may also be true that you want to have a more child-friendly environment in one space or to give your older child a place where they can study without interruption.

Having a split schedule doesn’t mean that your children won’t ever see each other, either. A split schedule may place each child in a different home during the school week, for example, but they may then spend weekends together. There are varied plans available that work for some families, so if you’re interested in this kind of arrangement, you may want to speak with your attorney about schedules they’ve seen work for divorcing families like yours in the past.

Splitting custody may not be right for you. If not, there are other options for custody schedules that keep your kids together and make it easier for them to grow up between homes.