One of the most conflict-filled areas of family law involves creating fair child custody arrangements. When parents cannot come to an agreement about child custody, a judge will make the decisions instead. For this reason, it is always better to work cooperatively with your co-parent. Successful co-parenting and custody arrangements allow you and your ex to retain control over what happens to your kids during and after divorce.
Many divorced co-parents in New York have begun to consider birdnesting child custody plans. In these arrangements, the children continue to live in the family home while the parents are the ones who come and go. Such a plan will not work for everyone, but if it sounds like something that interests you, a family law attorney can give you guidance and additional details about this option. For now, take a look at the following pros and cons of birdnesting custody plan.
The Pros
- Parents can focus on the needs and best interests of the children.
- Children continue to live in a stable and familiar environment with few disruptions.
- Kids can enjoy spending quality time with each parent in a safe place.
- It gives parents additional time to plan the details of future living arrangements.
The Cons
- It can be costly to maintain a family home for the kids as well as two additional residences for the parents.
- Birdnesting may have a negative impact on dating after divorce.
- It may be emotionally taxing for those who find it difficult to see their ex frequently.
- It can be inconvenient for parents to change residences on a regular basis
It is critical to be as well-informed as possible when making any family law decisions that may affect your children.