It can be difficult coming to terms with the prospect of not getting to see your children every day if you and your child’s other parent split up. You may have never given the thought of having your kids divided up among each of your homes, though. There is such a thing as “split” custody.
Split custody involves siblings residing in both you and your ex’s different homes. Judges will often split up kids via this arrangement if they think that it would help them thrive by doing so.
Specific factors help judges determine whether this is the best arrangement for your son or daughter. It could be a viable option if your children have a history of not getting along well with one another despite having attended therapy to work on their issues.
The court may also divide up your kids if there’s a wide age gap between them, one of you is particularly good at working with youth of a certain age, or your child seems to relate to you better as someone of the same sex.
A Florida family law judge may also allow your child’s preferences, such as the school they want to attend, to shape their decision as to where your son or daughter should live.
Judges may also split up children if it’s not financially feasible for one parent to care for multiple kids. A judge will likely try to increase a noncustodial parent’s support obligation before doing this, though.
Most Florida parents want to spend as much time as possible with their kids. Breaking up with your child’s mom or dad can shake things up on that end, though. You must be aware of the prospects you’re facing when you split up with your kids’ other parent. A child custody attorney can go over what potential outcomes you’re looking at and advise you of the steps that you can take in your Fort Myers case to make sure that things turn out in both you and your kids’ best interests.
