Most parents with young children will share custody after a divorce, but in some cases, parents will actually split custody. Split custody is a unique kind of arrangement where each parent assumes primary responsibility for different children in the family.
Both parents will still spend time with all of the children, and both of them will have children for whom they are primarily responsible. When is split custody a particularly workable custody solution for families?
In families with four or more children
The more children there are in the family, the harder it can be for one parent to consistently meet all of their needs during their parenting time.
Splitting responsibilities between the two parents by having each one assume responsibility for some of the children ensures that all of the kids in the family have quality time with their parents and get the support that they need to thrive.
In families with a special needs child
Sometimes, a family with several children will have one child who has special needs, and that can alter the best way to share custody. A child with Down Syndrome, for example, will require substantially more one-on-one parenting time than their neurotypical siblings will.
In families where the kids have big age gaps
The needs of a teen are vastly different than the needs of a toddler. Dividing them up into different households can make it easier for both to get the love and attention they should have and reduce conflicts that are caused by the age spread.
Naturally, there has to be time for the kids to see each other factored into such arrangements, but exploring less-common custody arrangements can help families make the best of the difficult transitions that often occur when a family changes.