Four Common Types of Joint Custody Schedules

Going through a divorce is difficult for families. Parents want to set up a new dynamic that allows both of them to spend time with their children. Joint custody is one of the types of custody arrangements. It provides for children to spend half their time with one parent and half with the other. Good communication and planning are keys to ensuring a successful joint custody arrangement. 

What is Joint Custody?

Joint custody is also called shared parenting. In a true joint physical custody arrangement, children spend equal time with each parent. Both parents have responsibilities and obligations to care for and provide for their children. Joint custody means that a child lives half the time with one parent and half with the other. It is different from many arrangements where a child lives primarily with one parent and has visitation with the non-custodial parent. For joint custody to work well, parents need to be able to communicate well with each other and provide a schedule that works for the children and parents. 

Four Common Types of Joint Custody Schedules

There are four common types of joint custody schedules that you can use, or you can create your own. When you choose a schedule, you will want to make sure, first and foremost, that it is in the best interests of the child. You’ll also want to choose a schedule to which both parents can adhere. 

Alternate Weeks

One of the simplest and easiest joint custody schedules is one that alternates weeks between parents. The children live with one parent for a week and another the next week. The schedule alternates as such throughout the child’s life until they are adults. 

Divide Weeks in Half

Another option for custody is to split the week in half. The child would reside with one parent for half the week and the other parent for the other half of the week. This may be an ideal schedule for young children, but it can be difficult to manage when children get older and have activities on certain days of the week. 

2 Days, 2 Days, 5 Days, 5 Days

In this schedule, the child lives with one parent for two days, then the other for two days, then back to the first parent for five days, and then the other parent for five days. This is a good way to break up the living situation into blocks of two-week periods. This schedule gives both parents time both with the child and away from the child, with the longest period away being five days. 

Half and Half Weeks

With this arrangement, the child stays with one parent for three days and the other for four days. The next week, the time changes to allow four days for the first parent and three days for the other. This works because weeks have an uneven number of days. This option provides an even distribution of time with a parent. 

Parents can create a schedule that works best for everyone. The important thing to remember is that joint custody schedules usually are best when parents live very near to each other. Keep in mind that you can add additional details to the schedule that allow for specific circumstances, such as an extra evening or a more even distribution of days when the child participates in sports or other activities. An experienced Illinois divorce attorney will help you create an ideal schedule. Contact us at the Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group to discuss your divorce case today.