Florida couples going through a divorce are ending their legal relationship with one another, but if they have children, they are never really going to be ending their emotional links with each other. Especially soon after the divorce, children will need stability as they are transitioning from a single household to two separate houses and schedules as to when they can see one parent and which holiday will be spent with which parent. One child custody arrangement that works for parents at this time is a nesting one.
What is nesting?
Rather than children shuffling from one household to another, lugging all their possessions with them, kids reside in the residential home and parents move back and forth. This also avoids the additional cost of buying duplicate items for both house and the confusion of leaving homework at one place or the other. Most importantly, children grow up with consistency and continuity. They also do not lose the comforts of home.
Where do parents live?
While children continue to live in the main house, parents usually live in their own separate apartments. Some parents have also shared an apartment for a brief period of time, if having separate apartments is too expensive. If they are sharing an apartment, they do not actually spend any time with one another—they switch in and out of the house. Depending on the divorce agreement, one parent might be living in the main house with the children already and simply stay in one portion of the house while the other parent is with the children.
Whether nesting can work for everyone depends on their individual circumstances. This type of a child custody arrangement may require divorced couples to remain in extended contact with one another, which isn’t what everyone wants. An experienced divorce attorney can discuss one’s options with them to figure out what is in their best interests.