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Finding a custody schedule that works for you and your kids

Finding a custody schedule that works for you and your kids

While it may initially come as a great relief to most parents that Indiana courts often award shared or joint custody, challenges can arise when it comes time to actually create the custody schedule.

There are many different ways to balance custody, and finding the best schedule for your situation will depend on several factors including the amount of parenting time awarded, your child’s age, where you and the other parent live, and your child’s educational and extracurricular activity schedules. Below are some common custody arrangements that you may want to consider.

  • 2-2-5-5 custody: Your kids are with you for two days, with the other parent for two days, back with you for five days and then with the other parent for five days.
  • 2-2-3 custody: Your kids are with you for two days, with the other parent for two days and back with you for three days. The next round, the other parent will have the child for three days.
  • Alternating weeks: This plan allows kids to stay with each parent for a week at a time before going to the other parent.
  • Weekdays and weekends: You have the kids during the week and the other parent has them on the weekends, or vice versa.
  • School year and summer: When parents live far apart, it may be best for school-age kids to be with one parent during the school year and then travel to be with the other parent over the summer.

These are just some of the more common examples of custody schedules parents choose when creating their custody. There are others that are more fitting for unique circumstances. Again, the best plan for you will depend on several factors. Sharing custody of an infant is very different than sharing custody of a toddler or teenager, and logistics of where you live and what your child needs can make certain schedules impossible.

Of course, sharing custody is not easy, but finding the right parenting plan for you and your kids can go a long way in making it a little easier on everyone.