Child custody is one of the most difficult elements to resolve in a divorce in Florida, and it can be logistically complex as well as emotionally draining for everyone involved. An approach called nesting might make things easier. In nesting, rather than the child shuttling between two houses, they stay in one place, and it’s the parents who take shifts living there.
How does nesting work?
Nesting is designed to make things easier on the child or children. They don’t need to repeatedly shift environments based on the day of the week or time of the month, which can be a disruptive child custody scenario. The parents rotate duties based on a set schedule. The off-duty parent can live outside the home or in a different part of the house where they will be apart from the others.
Nesting can be a temporary arrangement or a permanent one. For example, nesting can be the method until both parents have stable, long-term housing for after the divorce, and in the meantime, they can swap staying inside the house to save money and keep things running smoothly. This approach does not work for all parents, but it can provide a better experience for the children in some cases.
When to try nesting
Nesting works best if you want to minimize the impact on your children and you have a layout of the home or other housing, such as a parent’s house or friend’s house, that can make the on- and off-duty transitions easy. Nesting can last as long as you want.
Such an arrangement might be just one part of your overall child custody strategy. If you have a relatively amicable relationship with your former partner, it may be worth trying until you finalize the divorce.
