SAMPLE CUSTODY ARRANGEMENTS

The following eight custody arrangements are examples. However, parents can choose other equal time schedules beneficial to their particular situation. 50/50 schedules benefit children. Allowing the child to spends time living with both parents fosters closer relationship with both parents and helps ensure the child feels loved and cared for by both parents. Whatever custody schedule you choose, remember to give everyone in your family time to adjust before making changes. Official written plans help everyone involved recognize the importance of following the plan. Consider revisiting the plan annually to ensure that the schedule continues to meet the needs of both parents and children involved. OPTION 1 – ALTERNATING WEEKS.  Exchange of child on any day of the week  Rotate non-major holidays important to the family  Rotate major holidays (alternating weeks typically rotates the major holidays each year anyway)  Allow each parent time on the child’s birthday  Allow each parent to spend time with the child on their respective birthdays.

This popular custody schedule allows for parents share 50/50 . With this plan the children would live at home with Parent A for one week, and then with Parent B the next week, and so on. Many families choose to make the transition on Fridays after school or Monday morning when school starts, but could choose whatever day of the week works best for you. Research shows in a high conflict situation, the exchange works best on Mondays when school starts. Some weeks may need to be split in order to ensure that both parents receive at least one vacation week with the children for fall break or spring break during the school year.

OPTION 2 – ALTERNATING WEEKS WITH AN EVENING OVERNIGHT. Many families add a mid-week evening and/or overnight to their alternating schedule, ensuring the child never goes a full 7 days without seeing either parent. The sample schedule shown here has that mid-week overnight taking place on Wednesdays, but you can choose whatever day works best for your family. This is important for smaller children whose memories are not fully developed. Smaller children lose concept of the other parent after 4 days.

OPTION 3 – ALTERNATING 4-4 DAY WITH EACH PARENT.  The child alternates between parents every 4 days.  Popular for infant and toddlers. research shows infants and toddlers lose the concept of the other parent after 4 days because their memory is not fully developed.  The 4-4 schedule allows children to experience activities with each parent on both weekdays and weekends.

The Sample Custody Arrangement Examples consolidated by the Alabama Family Rights Association and Robin Maddox, LMFT.

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SAMPLE CUSTODY ARRANGEMENTS

 Holidays with this schedule essentially rotate automatically each year. Parents may wish to allow specific parent times with the children on their birthdays and the children’s birthdays.

The below options may not work well in high conflict situations or in situation where parents become confused about the parenting time schedule. In those situations a simple week to week schedule with minimum with the other parent is best.

OPTION 4 – A 2-2-3 DAY ROTATION. Children reside with Parent A for two days, Parent B for two days, and then spend a long three-day weekend with Parent A. The next week, the routine flips and the children reside with Parent B for two days, then Parent A for two days, before spending a long three-day weekend with Parent B.  The advantage of this plan is that the parents will alternate weekends, but the child is still spending 50% of the time with each parent.

OPTION 5 – A 3-3-4-4 DAY ROTATION. Children spend three days with Parent A, three days with Parent B, and then four days with Parent A, followed by another four days with Parent B.  The advantage is that the children are always at one residence on Sundays through Tuesdays, and at the other residence on Wednesdays through Fridays. The only day that changes from week to week is Saturdays.

OPTION 6 – A 2-2-5-5 DAY ROUTINE. (M & Tue / Wed & Th / rotate weekends / Rotate Holidays odd-even years) The 2-2-5-5 schedule the child is home 2 days with each parent and then 5 days with each parent.

 The advantage of this plan is it allows the children to always spend Sundays through Mondays in one residence, and Tuesdays through Wednesdays at the other. This way, the only days that fluctuate from week to week are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

OPTION 7 – A 3-4-4-3 DAY ROUTINE. The 3-4-4-3 schedule the child is home 3 days with one parent, and home 4 days with the other parent, 4 days with the first parent and then 3 days with the other parent.

OPTION 8 – 50%-50% alternating custody: Parents alternate months of custody or years of custody. This can be legal custody and/or legal and physical custody. Works best in utmost highest of conflict situations when one or both parents profusely refuse to cooperate with the other parent or when one parent lives a long distance away.

In Swett v. Swett a Tennessee appellate court upheld a trial judge’s order awarding Dad custody the first six months of each year, and Mom the next six months. The 27 June 2002 landmark ruling truly equalizes parental custody.

The Parenting Plan Sample Custody Arrangement Examples consolidated by the Alabama Family Rights Association and Robin Maddox, LMFT.

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SAMPLE CUSTODY ARRANGEMENTS

The parents in this case were very much in disagreement, so the trial court created the innovative solution of dividing custody into six-month blocks for each parent. In essence, each parent has , in an alternating and substantially equal parenting schedule.

 One parent was given permanent control over the educational and medical decisions, so there will be no changing schools.  Parenting time for the children to the reduction in parental conflict is expected to be worked out between the parents and to be maximized because a mirror image parenting time schedule would be applied to the other parent when the custodial status switches.  Feasible for short, medium, and longer distance parenting.

This would also work in situations where one parent moves – or lives - a distance away from the other parent.

The block of time could be three years with Parent A and three years with Parent B and revert until the children reach age 19.

In long distance situations, for a set period of time for months or years, Parent A may have more parenting time with the children, with Parent B having weekends, holidays and summers with the children. However, at the chosen pre-selected time switch Parent A would have the reduced parenting times of weekends, holidays and summers and Parent B would have the additional parenting times, thus, creating the equal custody situation. The switched times could be determined on the child switching school from elementary to middle school or at the 6 grade, then at the 7th grade to12th grade for the other parent. Or any pre-determined switch date and time that the parents choose or the Court would decide best based upon the wishes of the parents as outlined in their proposed parenting plan.

The Parenting Plan Sample Custody Arrangement Examples consolidated by the Alabama Family Rights Association and Robin Maddox, LMFT.

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