Using a 50/50 Custody Schedule

If you have been awarded joint physical custody, you may need to make a 50/50 child custody schedule to make your custody and visitation schedule works better. There are many different types of 50/50 custody schedules you can use to make your situation work. Let's take a look at some of the most common 50/50 custody schedules and see which one works best for your situation.

• 2/2/5/5 - This schedule allows each parent to care for the children for two days and then five days respectively. This switches back and forth. This schedule requires a lot of changing on the children's parts. This is a good schedule is good for children who adapt well to change and if parents' homes are close together.
• 3/3/4/4 - This schedule is where each parent cares for the children for three days and then four days respectively. Like the 2/2/5/5 schedule, this schedule requires a lot of switching for the children and is most effective if parents live near each other.
• 4/1/2 - This schedule allows one parent to care for the children for four days, then the children stay overnight with the other parent. The children then go back to the care of the first parent for two days. The parents then switch. This schedule is good if parents live in close proximity to each other.
• Alternating weeks or every other week - This is a very simple schedule. Each parent alternates caring for the children weekly or bi-weekly. This schedule is more consistent and stable for the children as there is less changing back and forth.
• Splitting weeks in half – Parents can choose to split each week equally in half. This schedule, like the 2/2/5/5 and 3/3/4/4 schedules, requires a lot of splitting and may work best if parents live close together.
• Vacations, holidays and school breaks - If parents live in separate school districts or in different states, this is schedule may work well. This schedule allows one parent to care for the children during the regular school year. The other parent cares for the children during school breaks, on holidays and on vacations.

Making a 50/50 child custody schedule is essential to making your joint custody agreement work most effectively. It is wise to keep track of the actual time spent with your children to ensure that your custody schedule is working and to decide if changes need to be made to the schedule. Be a good parent by using an effective 50/50 schedule.