Illinois seeking equal custody after divorce might consider alternating weeks. This custody arrangement involves the children spending seven days at one parent’s house before switching to the other for another seven days.
This might seem simple enough and could work for many families. There are several things to consider before you choose alternating weeks for your custody arrangement.
Length of time between visits
Parents seeking an equal custody arrangement probably don’t want to spend too much time away from their children. And they might not want their children to spend too much time away from the other parent either.
Seven days might not seem like a long time, but it is a whole week without seeing your kids. And for younger kids especially, going this long between seeing a parent can be incredibly difficult.
Developing a routine
Many consider seven days to be an awkward amount of time. It’s just enough to allow the parent and kids to settle into a routine just in time to disrupt it again.
Because of the length of time, kids might have trouble relaxing and develop anxiety problems. It can also be incredibly awkward for parents to develop a steady work schedule when every other week is different.
Other equal custody arrangements
People who are interested in doing a 50/50 custody split might look into the 2-2-3 method. This arrangement lets the children spend two days with one parent, two days with the next, and three days with the other parents again.
Parents would switch off who gets the extra day each week, which can be easier for children and parents to manage. It’s important to investigate all of your potential custody options and ensure an equal custody arrangement will work best for your children.
