The most common variety of custody after divorce is co-parenting.
This is because children do best if they have both of their parents actively involved in raising them, even if those parents are no longer married.
However, there are many difficult aspects to co-parenting.
One, in particular, is moving children between houses.
Given not only the practical, but often emotional hardships that come with shuttling children between homes, some families are choosing a “nesting” arrangement to help alleviate this problem.
According to Psychology Today, “nesting” is when the children stay in the same house and the parents rotate out based upon their custody agreement.
Who does nesting benefit?
Nesting is particularly good for families that are still figuring out how their lives will look after divorce.
One of the biggest benefits of nesting is that it provides very little disruption to the child’s life.
Some families also find nesting a good arrangement if they live in a high cost of living area. If it is unlikely that the parents will be able to maintain single households in an expensive neighborhood, keeping the original household allows the children to stay in the same school district with the same activities as prior to the divorce. If the parents can stay with friends or family when they are not “on duty,” this can save a lot of money as well.
How long does nesting last?
This depends on the individual arrangement. Usually, nesting is a more temporary arrangement because it is likely that both parents will want to start maintaining their own independent household at some point. However, it is also possible for nesting arrangements to last for years if it is agreeable to everybody, and is in the best interests of the child or children involved.
If you have questions about divorce generally, or creating a nesting arrangement for you and your family, contact Bashian P.C.
