Last Updated on January 23, 2024 by Lori Pace
You and your ex are now sharing custody at 50/50 schedule. Now it’s time to discuss how you will divide your children’s time with you. It is important to create a schedule that evenly divides the time your kids spend with each parent.
There are two main ways to divide the time.
- You can simply alternate days or even weeks.
- Another option is to alternate the days or weeks spent at each place.
There are five variations of the alternate schedule and four of the rotation schedule. There are many factors that go into choosing a custody schedule, including the children’s age, school location, extracurriculars, and distance between the locations. To reduce the time spent traveling to and from each place, it might be a good idea to extend your visit if you live more than 30 minutes apart.
It is essential to keep each bedroom and space fully functional in a joint custody agreement. It is a good idea to make copies of the most important items so they are available in both homes. You don’t want your children feeling like they don’t own a home due to the fact that they have to bring their beloved items back and forth between houses. You want them to feel like they have two homes instead of just one.
Alternating Ways To Divide Custody Schedule 50/50
Alternate Weeks With 50/50 Custody Schedule
This is the easiest way to split custody. It is simple and straightforward. The children spend one week at each house and the following week at the other. As shown, the transition from parent-to-parent usually takes place on Friday. However, your family can choose to start or end the week at any time that works for them.
Alternate Every 2 Weeks
A biweekly alternate schedule is an option if transportation is a problem between the homes. Younger children need to be in constant contact with their parents more, but older children, such as high school students, are more likely to adapt and enjoy this schedule.
Alternate Weeks With A Midweek Visit
You can schedule a visit during the week if you feel that a week without your child is too much. It could be as simple a Wednesday dinner before they return to their homes for the week.
Alternate Weeks With A Midweek Sleepover
This is an alternative to the midweek visit. Turn dinner into an overnight stay. The parent can then take your child to school and pick them up the following week. This method, unlike Plan #3’s “visit” option, allows the child to spend the whole night with one parent.
Alternating Every X Days With 50/50 Split Custody Schedule
Alternating weeks are more common but you can adjust the time at each house to suit your needs. It can be as simple as switching every two days to every ten. The 50-50 split is still in place as each parent receives the same amount of time. Ask your child if they prefer something if you are older.
Rotations For 50/50 Custody Schedule
2-2-3 Rotation
This schedule divides the week between the parents. The children spend two days with parent A, two with parent B, and then three days with parent A. The next week’s schedule begins with Parent B so the children can spend the weekend with either parent.
While the obvious benefit is that both parents get the weekend off, it could be stressful for the child to move between homes every few days, especially if they are not close together.
3-3-4-4 Rotation
The child spends three days at Parent A, three days at Parent B, and then four days at Parent A. Finally, the child spends four days with parent B. This schedule establishes a home for the children from Sunday to Tuesday with Parent A and Wednesday through Friday with Parent B. To ensure equal time between the parents, the Saturdays are alternated with each parent.
The schedule is less disruptive because there are set days for the week that the child is at each house and the time spent at each place is slightly longer than the 2-2-3 rotation. They also get to see both parents more often than with the alternating week schedules.
2-2-5-5 Rotation
This rotation is very similar to Plan #7’s 3-3-4-4 Rotation. However, the established home of Parent A is Sunday through Monday and the established home of Parent B is Tuesday through Thursday.
Parents A and B alternate Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. You could also begin the rotation on Monday if Parent A has all Sundays. In this case, it would be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday that are alternating between the parents.
3-4-4-3 Rotation
The child spends three nights with Parent A, then four with Parent B. Next, the child spends four more days with parent A, then three with Parent B. Finally, three days are spent with Parent B. This results in a home that is established for two days per week, then a home for four days with Parent B. Then the mid-week can be alternated.
