Many divorcing parents in Knoxville, Tennessee, want a 50/50 (equal) child custody plan to minimize mental and emotional hardships for their children. When all parties are agreeable, these plans are healthy and beneficial for the children of divorce. They promote parent-child bonding and increase family security for kids and parents alike.
The problem with a 50/50 custody split is how to arrange each parent’s time with the children. Some families manage to work these arrangements out relatively fast, but others are left struggling to put all the pieces together.
Two examples of 50/50 custody arrangements
In many cases, an ideal way to solve any problem is to look at what works for others. The following sections contain examples of two 50/50 custody arrangements that work well for many families:
- Alternating weeks: A simple but often satisfactory schedule is alternating custody every week. For example, you have the kids for a week, then your spouse has them the next week and then the schedule repeats. Young children often thrive from the stability alternating week schedules provide.
- Alternating weekends: Another way to divide custody equally involves the parents having the same weekly custody schedule with alternating weekend arrangements. For example, your children stay with you Sunday through Tuesday and with your ex Wednesday through Friday, and you alternate custody on weekends. Like the first example above, this schedule does not unduly disrupt your or your kids’ lives.
Although a judge will have the final say over your 50/50 child custody proposal, it will most likely find favor in a family court. Law professionals like judges and advocates understand the many benefits of custody plans that promote parent-child bonding. We also recommend learning more about Tennessee child custody and visitation laws and your rights in this area.
