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A 50/50 split is not always the best child custody plan

by | Nov 30, 2021 | Child Custody

Going through a divorce is usually a lot more difficult when children are involved. Working out a child custody agreement with your estranged spouse can be complicated and highly emotional. Most Georgia parents want to have custody of their child seven days a week, but when you get divorced, that’s usually not possible.

Pros and cons of a 50/50 split

Dividing parenting time with a 50/50 split might sound like the simplest solution to child custody. While an alternating weeks schedule is simple to plan, it’s not always in the child’s best interest.

The pros of a 50/50 schedule are that the child gets to see both parents an equal amount of time. The cons are that this arrangement doesn’t always make sense with parents’ work schedules and the child’s activity schedule. Another issue is that, when the schedule is alternating weeks, the child will spend a long time away from each parent.

Age of the child is a big factor

The age of your child is likely to be a big factor in what parenting plan arrangement works best for your family. For example, a breastfeeding baby will most likely need to spend a lot more time with the mother. As your child gets older, custody arrangements can change, and an alternating weeks schedule may work well for teenagers.

When can each parent spend quality time with their child?

Parents’ work schedules can be an important consideration in child custody decisions. For example, one parent may work long hours five days a week and then have the weekends off. In a situation like that, an alternating weeks schedule would mean that the parent really only gets to spend quality time with their child every other weekend. On the other hand, a schedule that gave the working parent custody on weekends might actually be more fair.