Parents in joint or shared custody may have a challenge coming up with a visitation schedule that would favor the best interests of the child. This is so the case when one parent enjoys larger time-sharing than the other parent such as in 60/40, 70/30, and 80/20 custody schedules.
For a 50/50 custody, it may be a bit easier for the parents to share time equally but when it comes to where one parent enjoys a larger timeshare, it becomes tricky to balance. This may also be compounded by other factors such as the work schedule and school time for the child. However, this article will give you some ideas for midweek time sharing.
While mid-week visits may be difficult to implement, it is advantageous for the child since he or she will get to spend time with the non-custodial parent where that parent only enjoys visitation rights. This, therefore, can work to enhance their relationship than where there are no midweek visits.
Custody X Change is also a software that can help you calculate parenting time and is also helpful for parents who want to have smooth time sharing without hurting the child.
Understanding some of the time-sharing options and possible weekday visitation
A child custody determination by the court comes with a time-sharing formula to guide parents on the amount of time to spend with the child. This may be different from one state or court to another. It is also determined by the factors that the court considers to be in the best interests of the child. The time-sharing schedule will also guide the parents in coming up with weekday schedules without interfering with the activities of the child. Some of the common time-sharing schedules include:
50/50 custody
This is common in shared custody where the state laws support equal time-sharing. In states like Arizona, Alaska, Washington, New Mexico, New Jersey, Dakota, and Colorado among others, a 50/50 schedule is common.
With this schedule, it is easy to share time since what is needed is equality in time-sharing. Parents in this schedule can share weekdays equally by alternating the weeks where one parent spends the weekdays of the current week with the child, and the weekdays of the following week is given to the other parent.
60/40 custody
In this schedule, the child spends 60% of the time with one parent, and 40% of the time with the other parent. In this schedule, the child can spend 4 days with one parent, and 3 days with the other parent. The challenge with this is when it comes to sharing weekdays.
A possible option with this schedule is a child spending 3 days of the weekdays with a parent with 60% share and 2 days of the weekdays with a parent with 40% share. This means the parents can share the weekend equally.
It is a challenge when the parents live far apart from each other, or where the child’s activities may be disturbed when he or she visits one parent who lives far away from the school where he or she attends.
70/30 custody
In this type of custody, the child spends 70% of the time with one parent, and 30% of the time with the other parent. An arrangement for this type of custody would be spending 5 days with one parent and 2 days with the other parent.
In an option where both parents must share the weekend, the child can spend 4 days of the weekdays with one parent, and 1 day of the weekdays with the other parent.
Child custody weekday visit ideas
Midweek is a time when the parents might be involved in their daily routines and activities. The child might also be involved in schooling and extra-curricular activities. Therefore, sharing weekday visits can be a difficult task for the parents. However, some of the possible options may include:
Rotating weeks
Weekly rotation can work well for parents who have 50/50 custody. In this custody type, the child can spend the full weekdays of the current week with one parent, and the full weekdays of the following week with the other parent. This schedule type brings fewer interruptions than having to switch daily from one parents’ home to the other.
Overnight visits
This can work for parents who don’t share parenting time equally. It can be good for 60/40 or 70/30 custody where a child can spend the day in one parent’s home, and visit the other parent for the overnight stay until morning. You may calculate the number of overnight visits that are suitable for your schedule while considering the best interests of the child.
Factors that affect weekday visits
Mid-week is always busy for the parents who are engaged with work schedules. It can also be busy for the child since he or she may be enrolled in school and school time may not make it flexible for the child to stretch visits from one parent to another. Some of these factors that can affect weekday visits, therefore, include:
Third-party time
This is the time that the child spends in school or daycare. This may make it challenging to make a visitation schedule for the weekday when the child is involved in his or her curricular and extracurricular activities.
Distance between the two parents
The distance between the two parents is also a factor that can play a role when it comes to coming up with a visitation schedule for the midweek. If the parents live far away from one another, it may be challenging for the child to travel miles away to meet the parent, especially during the weekday.
Parents’ work schedule
The parent’s work schedule may also affect midweek visits. If the parent works from morning and arrives home at night, it can be difficult for him or her to pick the child.
Conclusion
Whether both parents share custody equally or in proportions set by the court, or the non-custodial parent enjoys the visitation rights, it is possible to have a weekday schedule that can work for both parents and for the best interests of the child as in the ideas that we have pointed out in this article. Therefore, you and the other parent should weigh options possible and practical for your situation.
