Texas couples undergoing a child custody hearing may initially think that 50/50 child custody split sounds like what they need. In reality, this type of custody situation can be difficult for parents and children alike. It’s important to understand what’s entailed in a 50/50 child custody arrangement to determine if it’s actually right for your family.
Defining 50/50 child custody
50/50 child custody is simply defined as a child spending equal amounts of time with both parents. You may also hear this commonly referred to as joint or shared child custody. With this type of arrangement, there is not one dominating parent who cares for the children. Instead, both parents are given equal responsibility and are able to make major decisions regarding the health and well-being of their children.
Logistics is a big drawback
While 50/50 child custody may seem like a very fair option for both parents going through a divorce, it’s important to think about actually living this agreement in real life. Former spouses who do not live close to one another will need to travel to switch custody on a regular basis. This can create a lot of travel time for the child and can really take away from the time that parents get to spend with them.
Ways to share custody
If you and your former spouse live very close to one another, a 50/50 child custody arrangement may be ideal for you. In these situations, you have many options as far as sharing custody goes. Some of the most common are the children spending one full week with each parent and changing to the next parent the following week. Others include spending three days with one parent and four days with the other. The following week those days will be flip-flopped so that the parent who only had three days in the prior week gets four days the following week.
As you go through the child custody process, you really need to think about the long-term effects of your decisions. While something may look good on paper, it’s not always feasible in real life. Before you agree to 50/50 child custody, you should think about how it’s going to work specifically for your family.
