Some people just like to divide stuff down the middle. That might be fine where property is concerned, but in custody matters it may not be so easy. Here are three potential issues you may face with 50/50 custody splits.
Permanent Address – One way or another, your child is going to have to have an address of record. ONE address of record. He or she can’t have two. That means someone has to be listed as primary. Though this may seem like a simple thing on the surface, figuring out who will be listed as the primary can easily cause problems, add additional time and fees, and cause undue angst. Be sure to have this figured out when deciding on custody arrangements.
Medical Decisions – This could literally be life or death for your child. In a 50/50 custody arrangement, one parent doesn’t always have the authority to make those critical health care decisions that sometimes need to be made. Maybe you’ll get lucky and your child won’t ever be in a serious accident or have a life threatening health condition. That possibility is the likely one, but what if something did happen that required an on the spot decision? And what if the other half of the 50/50 custody split couldn’t be reached and was nowhere to be found when an important medical decision needed to be made? What if you disagree about how your child should be treated? It is important to make sure to have an agreement before finalizing custody arrangements to account for such scenarios.
Finally, consider what happens if one (or both) of you decide to move. Maybe the 50/50 arrangement is working right now, when the two of you live just across town from each other. What happens if you get a promotion in another state, or your ex-spouse suddenly decides to move to the other side of the country? Suddenly, this becomes a major issue that must be considered.
The simplest and best answer is to hammer out who gets primary custody before any of these issues come up. 50/50 sounds like a good plan, but in practice, it has a number of considerations that must be addressed. The best thing to do is to discuss your options with our team about your specific situation, so the right option can be figured out for you.
