How to divide child custody

6 Ways to Split Child Custody Evenly

Determining a joint child custody agreement can be a difficult and complex process. Splitting time evenly for your child to be with both parents is easier said than done, as each parent is on a different schedule with work and other commitments. At Wallin & Klarich, our experienced family law attorneys are willing to work with you to reach an agreement that everyone can be happy with. The following are six common ways for parents to split child custody evenly using a two-week time frame.

1. Splitting Child Custody Every Other Week

In this arrangement, you get custody of your child for one full week from Sunday to Saturday. The following week, the other parent gets custody from Sunday to Saturday. Thus, during a 14-day period, each parent gets custody of the child for seven days.

2. Splitting Custody Every Other Week Plus One Overnight

In this visitation schedule, you get custody of your child for one week, from Sunday to Saturday, with one overnight stay at the other parent’s home, from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning (in this example). The next week, the other parent gets custody for one week, from Sunday to Saturday, while you are allowed to receive one overnight stay with your child from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning (in this example).

For the first week, you get custody for a total of six days and the other parent gets custody for a total of one day. The second week, you get custody for a total of one day while the parent gets custody for a total of six days. In this schedule, each parent gets custody of the child for seven days during a two-week period.

This schedule is ideal for parents who feel that alternating custody over a full week is too much time between seeing their child.

3. A 3-3-4-4 Custody Schedule

In a 3-3-4-4 visitation schedule, you get custody of your child for three days from Sunday to Tuesday. The other parent gets custody for the next three days from Wednesday to Friday. You then get custody for four days from Saturday to the following Tuesday and the other parent gets custody for four days from Wednesday to Saturday.

For the first week, you get custody for a total of four days and the other parent gets custody for a total of three days. The second week, you get custody for a total of three days while the other parent gets custody for a total of four days. Thus, in this arrangement, each parent gets custody of the child for seven days during a 14-day period.

4. A 2-2-5-5 Child Custody Schedule

For the 2-2-5-5 visitation schedule, you get custody of your child for two days, from Sunday to Monday, while the other parent gets custody for the next two days, from Tuesday to Wednesday. You then get custody for the next five days, from Thursday to the following Monday, and the other parent gets custody for the following five days from Tuesday to Saturday.

For the first week, you get custody for a total of five days and the other parent gets custody for a total of two days. The second week, you get custody for a total of two days while the other parent gets custody for a total of five days. Again, this schedule still provides, each parent with custody of the child for seven days during a 14-day period.

5. A 2-2-3 Custody Schedule

When using a 2-2-3 visitation arrangement, you get custody of your child for two days, from Sunday to Monday. The other parent gets custody for the next two days, from Tuesday to Wednesday. You then get custody for the next three days to end the week, from Thursday to Saturday. The following week, the other parent gets custody for two days, from Sunday to Monday. You then get custody for two days, Tuesday to Wednesday. The other parent then gets custody for the next three days to end the week, from Thursday to Saturday.

For the first week, you get custody for a total of five days and the other parent gets custody for a total of two days. The second week, you get custody for a total of two days while the other parent gets custody for a total of five days. Over a grand total of 14 days, each parent gets custody of the child for seven days.

6. Splitting Custody Every Other Day

Lastly, in this visitation schedule, one parent gets custody of the child for one full day, while the other parent gets custody of the child for the next full day. This schedule continues in this manner, where custody of the child alternates between the parents everyday. This schedule is ideal for parents who live a short distance from one another, though it can be tiresome to alternate custody every day.

Call Wallin & Klarich Today

If you are trying to reach a plausible child custody arrangement, it is critical that you speak to an experienced family law attorney. At Wallin & Klarich, our attorneys have over 30 years of experience in handling child custody arrangements in Southern California. Our attorneys will work with you and your family to get you the best possible outcome in your case.

With offices in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Torrance, Tustin, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina and Victorville, there is an experienced Wallin & Klarich family law attorney near you no matter where you are located.

Call us today at (888) 749-7428 for a free phone consultation. We will be there when you call.

Best Co-Parenting Schedules [How to Choose for Your Family]

For many families, creating a parenting time schedule is crucial when making the shift to co-parenting. More than just deciding who spends which nights with the kids, parents must consider many aspects of their children's schedules like school events, medical appointments, meal times, extracurriculars, holidays, bedtimes, and much more.

As a parent, you understand the needs of your children better than anyone. It's essential to use this knowledge to craft the perfect parenting schedule that caters to their needs before anything else.

While the task may be to divide parenting responsibilities across their two homes, working together to make these decisions for the kids is an excellent foot to start on in co-parenting.

A one-size-fits-all parenting schedule does not exist, but there are a few rotations commonly used by parents that cater to many different family situations. In fact, we've built these common rotations as templates in our parenting schedule builder, making it easy for you to get your family's routine onto a secure, shared calendar.

If you and your co-parent are still deciding what your family's routine should look like, consider these common parenting time rotations.

What we cover in this article:

Biweekly parenting schedule

2-2-3 Routines

2-2-5-5 and 3-3-4-4 Routines

Non-50/50 Rotations

Which is the best co-parenting schedule for your family?

Biweekly Routine

A biweekly parenting schedule would allow the kids to spend one entire week living with each parent at a time.

This routine could make a good fit for older kids with busier schedules or when parents live across town from one another. Whether exchanges take place in the middle of the week or during the weekend, agree on a time of the week to bring the kids between homes.

Think about how you will be exchanging parenting time. Will you drop the kids off and each of your homes, or will you decide on a location to make parenting time exchanges?

Biweekly parenting schedules do create long stretches of parenting time, so some families may integrate a mid-week visit or overnight with the other parent. This makes it so neither parent goes a full week without seeing their children and can be a workable option for parents who live close to each other.

2-2-3 Routines

Like a biweekly routine, schedules with a 2-2-3 rotation enables parents to split time with their kids 50/50. In each routine, each parent would have their kids for a couple of days, then they would go to be with the other parent for a couple of days, and the cycle continues from there.

In a 2-2-3 routine, children are with one parent for two days, then with the other parent for two days. Next, the kids go back to the first parent for a 3-day weekend. From there, the routine will begin again but with the other parent having the kids for two days, flipping the routine.

The benefit to a routine with frequent parenting time exchanges is that parents and children get to spend time together more frequently. Yet it can be difficult for parents who don't live very close to transport their children between homes. Children who have difficulty making frequent transitions may also have a hard time with this routine.

2-2-5-5 and 3-3-4-4 Routines

2-2-5-5 and 3-3-4-4 routines are 50/50 schedules that also call for more frequent transitions. But unlike the 2-2-3 routine, these schedules allow parents and children to spend regular days together throughout the week.

For example, a 2-2-5-5 routine calls for a child to be with one parent Monday and Tuesday, with the other parent Wednesday and Thursday, then back with the first parent for five full days which, here, would go from Friday to Tuesday. For from there, the schedule flips and begins with the other parent.

In this routine, children are with the same parent consistently Monday through Thursday while weekends are a variable. 3-3-4-4 routines create similar consistency by placing children within the same house on regular days of the week.

The regularity of these schedules is a bonus here, as well as the long stretches of time where no transitions occur. This could make it easier for a parent to continually attend music lessons, sports practice, and other events with their child every week.

Non-50/50 Rotations

Not every family divides parenting time evenly. In this situation, the home of the custodial parent (or residential parent) will be where the children live most of the time, while the other parent spends time with them during mid-day visitations or for short overnights.

Some popular parenting schedules for non-50/50 rotations include alternating weekends where the children will spend every other weekend with their other parent, returning to their primary home on Sunday.

Along with alternating weekends, some families incorporate a mid-week visitation where the kids can spend a little time with their other parent so that they don't go a full week without seeing each other. Alternatively, some families incorporate a mid-week overnight or go for an extended alternating weekend, creating more time for the children to spend with their other parent.

What is a good co-parenting schedule?

Every family is unique, and attending to the needs of your children first and foremost when it comes to parenting schedules is key. The best co-parenting schedule for toddlers may be different than the best co-parenting schedule for school-aged children.

But you and your co-parent may have jobs and other life variables that you can't readily adjust to achieve a regular parenting schedule. In these situations, communication is paramount.

Keep in touch with your kids if you cannot readily be available to visit or spend overnights with them. Video chat is an excellent option, as are secure messaging systems to share photos and maintain a dialogue.

Also, keep a shared calendar with your co-parent and discuss how you can work in time for your children to spend with each of you when possible.

While it'll be handy to keep a shared calendar even if you do have a regular rotating parenting schedule, families without a solid routine will benefit from sharing a calendar so that everyone is on the same page.

Picking the perfect parenting schedule for your family might mean one thing today and something entirely different as your kids grow older. Observe your children and discuss with your co-parent how the current schedule seems to be going.

If the time comes for a change, remember to keep your kids and their needs first in your new parenting schedule. Making the parenting schedule easy for your kids to handle will hopefully help keep things smooth for you and your co-parent, too.

Children in divorce

Divorce also affects children. The child must have an official guardian and a home address. In addition, the child has the right to meet with both parents.

If you cannot come to an agreement
housing
Guardianship
The right to meet
If difficulties arose with the right to meet
child support
Surne of the child when divorce
The kidnapping (LapsikaAppaas)

If the family has children under the age of 18, and the marriage ends, the following issues must be agreed upon divorce:

place of residence of the child,
who will be the guardian of the child,
how the right to meet will be organized,
alimony.

If the parents have agreed on the place of residence of the child, his custody, the right to meet and alimony, then the local social department can approve this agreement. After the agreement is approved by the social department, it receives the same legal force as a court decision.

If you cannot agree on the child's place of residence, custody, visitation rights and maintenance, you can ask for help in the form of a family dispute settlement procedure (perheasioiden sovittelu). If this procedure also fails to reach an agreement, you must file an application with the county court. When making a decision, the judicial authority will take into account the interests of the child and his own opinion. The judicial authority may also request an opinion from the social welfare office in your place of residence.

Find out about the procedure for settling family disputes with the social office of your commune.

For more information about the services of a lawyer and legal assistance, see the InfoFinland page Do you need a lawyer?.

Housing

Always consider your child's best interests when deciding where to live.

Officially, a child can only live in one place. When a divorce occurs, it is necessary to agree on which parent the child will officially live with.

In practice, a child may live for some time with either parent.

Child allowance is paid to the parent with whom the child officially resides. The child's official address also affects the housing allowance paid by Kela.

Guardianship

Child custody means:

child care
his upbringing
managing and making decisions about the child's affairs.

The child's guardian has the right to receive information about the child's affairs from officials.

At the end of the marriage, the child's parents decide on the organization of guardianship over him. Parents may agree on joint custody or sole custody by one of the parents. Guardianship does not depend on who the child lives with. More information about sole and joint custody is available on the InfoFinland website under Single-parent families.

External link Yhden Vanhemman Perheiden Liitto ry

General care and single care External link

Finnish

Right to meet

The child has the right to maintain contact after the divorce with both parents. He also has the right to meet with the parent with whom he does not live.

The right to visit may mean, for example, that the child lives with one of the parents and meets with the other parent every second weekend, and also during the holidays for a certain period of time. If the child is still small, meetings can take place during the day.

The right to visit may be so extensive that the child will live with both parents for the same amount of time. Officially, a child can have only one address. Always consider the interests of the child when making decisions.

In the event of a divorce, you can agree in advance how often the child can see the parent who will be living separately. If you wish, you can make a written agreement about the order of meetings. You can also decide that the order of the meetings will be agreed each time separately.

External linkYhden Vanhemman Perheiden Liitto ry

How to arrange an appointmentExternal link

Finnish

If you have difficulty exercising the right to an appointment

If you have entered into a meeting agreement with the child, but the parent living with the child does not comply with this agreement, then the parent living apart may contact the child inspector at the place of residence of the child. The children's inspector organizes negotiations between parents.

If you think that there is a risk to the child's health and safety when meeting with the other parent, tell the social worker about it. If you have good reason to be so suspicious, you can request that social workers be present at the meeting.

Child support

Both parents are responsible for the maintenance of a child under the age of 18, even if they live separately from each other. The parent who does not live with the child pays child support to the parent who lives with the child.

For more information on child support, see the InfoFinland page Single-parent families.

Link to an external resource Elatusvelvollisten liitto ry

Information for persons receiving and paying alimony Link to an external resource

Finnish

Child's surname upon divorce

The child's surname does not change when the parents divorce. However, the name can be changed. An application for a change of surname should be sent to the Agency for Digital Information and Population Records. If the child is over 12 years old, the written consent of the child is required to change the surname. If the child is under 12 years old, it is also recommended to have a preliminary conversation with him before changing the surname.

Abduction of a child (lapsikaappaus)

We are talking about the abduction of a child when:

a child under the age of 16 living in Finland is taken abroad without the consent of the guardian
a child taken abroad was not returned to Finland within the agreed period.

Child abduction is a crime in Finland. Contact the police in your area. For more information and advice, please contact Kaapatut Lapset ry.

External link Oikeus.fi

International child abduction External link

If you cannot come to an agreement
housing
Guardianship
Right to meet
If difficulties arose with the right to meet
child support
Surne of the child during a divorce of
The kidnapping

If the family has children under the age of 18, and the marriage ends, the following issues must be agreed upon during a divorce:

place of residence of the child,
who will be the guardian of the child,
how the right to meet will be organized,
alimony.

You can get more information from the social welfare office of your place of residence.

Find out about the procedure for settling family disputes with the social office of your commune.

For more information about the services of a lawyer and legal assistance, see the InfoFinland page Do you need a lawyer?.

Housing

Always consider your child's best interests when deciding where to live.

Officially, a child can only live in one place. When a divorce occurs, it is necessary to agree on which parent the child will officially live with.

In practice, a child may live for some time with either parent.

Child allowance is paid to the parent with whom the child officially resides. The child's official address also affects the housing allowance paid by Kela.

Guardianship

Child custody means:

child care
his upbringing
managing and making decisions about the child's affairs.

The child's guardian has the right to receive information about the child's affairs from officials.

External link Yhden Vanhemman Perheiden Liitto ry

General care and single care External link

Finnish

Right to meet

The child has the right to maintain contact after the divorce with both parents. He also has the right to meet with the parent with whom he does not live.