A Living Child Custody Plan

Any parent who has gone through a divorce knows just how difficult it can be to carve up parenting responsibilities and time sharing in a workable Parenting Plan. Nonetheless, it is an essential task, and one that looks different for every family. In Florida the courts aim for a 50:50 time split, although that can be difficult for kids of certain ages and families of various configurations. One thing that can be tricky is addressing the needs of multiple children at varying ages. In this situation, a “living” plan that adapts as kids grow older may be a good option.

Addressing Kids’ Needs

For a parent, having to settle for a child’s company on a temporary basis can be heartbreaking. More importantly, it can be pretty difficult for kids. That’s why it’s so essential that parents zero in on the kids’ needs and acknowledge that those needs may differ based on a child’s age or other circumstances. While infants and babies may require significant time at their home base, toddlers could do well spending greater amounts of time away from it. Pre-schoolers and elementary school children may do quite well with a 50:50 split, and tweens and teens may benefit from even more time in the alternate home.  These arrangements may play out in a number of variations. The important thing is that a divorced couple honestly looks at their own children and flex arrangements when it behooves them. A living document allows parents to take a second look at arrangements as the children get older, making adjustments as they see fit.

Scheduling Options

There are plenty of ways to address parenting time. Some ideas include:

• 80/20 or 70/30 split: The old-fashioned strategy that works well when one parent works full time and the other stays home, it allows every other weekend and a night or two during the week for the working parent.
• Bird nesting: Parents rotate in and out of the home and kids stay put:
• Week on/week off with mid-week dinner: A 7-day rotation with a dinner for the parent who doesn’t have custody one evening;
• Phase-in schedule: Regular day-visits by the non-custodial parent that meld into overnight and weekend visits as the child gets older;
• 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 3 days off: Self-explanatory and inverting weekly, and can work well for parents who live in close proximity;
• Shared campus: Parents live very close and kids go back and forth seamlessly as desired.

Making it Work 

At WiseLieberman our dedicated Boca Raton family attorneys always work to ensure the details of your divorce and parenting plan work for you. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Boca Raton office today.