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Talking About Family Court Proceedings


Three Reasons To Consider Bird's Nest Custody

Bird's nest custody is an arrangement where—instead of the children shuffling between the residences of their divorced parents—the kids stay in one home and the parents move in and out of it according to a schedule. While this is an unusual way to handle a joint custody situation, here are three reasons why you should consider giving it a try.

Provide Kids with More Stability

It's no secret children of divorced parents don't fare as well as kids from homes where the parents stayed together. According to some studies, the children of divorcees are more likely to experience social, mental health, and behavioral problems that continue to affect them well into adulthood.

Some of this can be attributed to the instability divorce can bring into a child's life. For instance, constantly moving from one home to another can make it hard for kids to establish bonds with others, especially if their parents live in different cities or states.

Bird's nest custody can alleviate this problem to a degree. When the kids remain in the same home year-round, it's easier for them to maintain their social connections and routines. They can continue going to the same school, playing with the same friends, and interacting with the same neighbors, for example, which provide some feelings of safety and security during a time when their home life may feel chaotic.

This arrangement may be particularly helpful for kids with special needs who are sensitive to changes in their environments and routines. Additionally, it can lessen the burden of finding new housing that can support the needs of physically disabled children since the kids can stay in a home that already has what they need.

Lower Child Support Obligation

Another benefit to opting for the bird's nest custody arrangement is that a parent's child support obligation may be less than what they'd pay if one parent had sole custody.

Since the kids will remain in one primary household, both parents will be responsible for maintaining the home and providing for their needs. Thus, in lieu of child support, both parents may be ordered to contribute a certain amount of money into a pool that's used to pay monthly expenses such as the mortgage, groceries, and school fees.

Depending on how much each parent makes, the amount may be less than what one co-parent may be required to pay in a sole custody situation.

It should be noted, though, that what you save in child support may be wiped out by the expenses you incur from maintaining a separate household for when you're not living in the same home as the children. So, it's a good idea to discuss the issue with both an attorney and an accountant to determine which option makes the best sense for your financial situation.

Make It Easier to Deal with Certain Assets

One of the toughest parts of divorcing is dividing up the assets accumulated during the marriage. In fact, depending on the asset, the separation may have a significantly negative impact on both party's finances.

For example, some courts require the divorcing couple to sell their home and split the proceeds. If the housing market is bad, though, selling the residency may result in the loss of a lot of equity or being subjected to a tax penalty. However, opting for bird's nest custody not only helps the kids but lets the couple sit on the property until the housing market improves.

There are many other benefits to opting for bird's nest custody, but this arrangement is not for every couple. There's a certain level of cooperation required and it can be more expensive since the parents have to live somewhere else when it's not their time to be in the main home. It's best to discuss this option with your divorce attorney to see if it will work in your situation. For help with your custody issues, contact a local child custody lawyer.

About Me

Talking About Family Court Proceedings

Hello, my name is Bridget Waller. Welcome to my site about family court proceedings. My involvement in family court was not a welcome one. Despite the difficulties experienced during that time, I focused on building my knowledge about family court proceedings rather than let the process bring me down. I created this site to share my knowledge with you all, in hopes that I can help others navigate family court proceedings with ease. I will explore every phase of the court process in great detail to help others better understand the proceedings. Please come by my site regularly to learn more. Thanks.

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