Alternating custody
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (October 2011) |
| Family law |
|---|
| Family |
Alternating custody, also known as serial custody or shared custody, is an arrangement in which children live for long periods of time with one parent, and then spend a similar amount of time with the other parent.[1] The primary difference between alternating custody and joint custody is that in alternating custody, the parent that currently has the child also retains sole authority over the child/children for the duration that the child/children are with said parent.[1] The general reason for using this arrangement rather than a more commonly used arrangement is that the parents tend to live too far away from each other to allow for other arrangements to be feasible.[1]
Other forms of custody
- Sole custody is an arrangement whereby only one parent has physical and legal custody of a child.
- Joint custody is an arrangement whereby both parents have legal custody and/or both parents have physical custody.
- Split custody is an arrangement whereby one parent has full time custody over some children, and the other parent has full custody over the other children.
- Third-party custody is an arrangement in whereby the children do not remain with either biological parent, and are placed under the custody of a third person.
- Bird's nest custody is an arrangement whereby the parents go back and forth from a residence in which the child/children reside, placing the burden of upheaval and movement on the parents rather than the child/children.
See also
- Divorce
- Family law
- Family court
- Legal custody
- Parens patriae
- Parenting plan
- Physical custody
- Shared parenting
- Ward of the state
References
- ^ a b c Webster Watnik (April 2003). Child Custody Made Simple: Understanding the Laws of Child Custody and Child Support. Single Parent Press. pp. 16–38. ISBN 978-0-9649404-3-7. Retrieved 25 September 2011.