Photo of Jeanne M. Frazee

The Experience To Protect Your Rights

Photo of Jeanne M. Frazee

The Experience To Protect Your Rights

Should parents consider ‘nesting’ following a divorce?

On Behalf of | Jan 18, 2021 | Child Custody |

When parents in Livonia divorce, they may be concerned about how much time they will get to spend with their child moving forward. They may wonder if there is any alternative to the traditional child custody arrangements in which the child is bounced back between one home and another. One unusual parenting time arrangement that may be of interest to these parents is “nesting.”

What is “nesting”?

In traditional parenting time arrangements, the child will reside with one parent some of the time and then reside with the other parent for a period of time. This back-and-forth can be difficult on a child who is trying to cope with their parent’s divorce.

In a nesting arrangement, it is the parents who go back and forth, not the child. The child will continue to stay in the family home. One parent will reside with the child during their allotted parenting time, and the child’s other parent will reside in a separate apartment. The parents will switch living arrangements so the other parent can exercise their parenting time with the child.

Does nesting work for everyone?

Nesting may be a way to reduce the stress a child feels after a divorce, as they will not be bounced back-and-forth between two homes. However, parents who choose nesting will have to cooperate with one another and respect each other’s time with the child. Arrangements will have to be made on who will pay for what household costs and who will perform which household chores. This level of cooperation may be possible for some divorcing couples, but many may find that they simply cannot coparent at this level.

Learn more about your child custody options

Ultimately, nesting is an unusual child custody situation that some couples may want to consider. However, it is not a feasible arrangement for everyone. Readers who want to learn more about child custody in Michigan may find our website to be a good source of information on this topic.