How Often are Children Split up in Child Custody Cases?
You may have heard about sole custody, shared custody, legal custody, and physical custody, but do you know about split custody? Most likely, no, since it is not a common child support situation. Split custody refers to splitting up siblings so that each parent has custody of one, two, or more children. There needs to be more than one child involved. So, if there are two children involved, the mother may have custody of one child, while the father gets the other.
There are no statistics on how often split custody occurs, likely because it is very rare and inadvisable. Courts try to avoid doing it because it is unconventional. It separates the children from their siblings and focuses on sole custody, which means children are separated from not only one parent, but also their brothers and sisters. This can make it harder for a child to get over a divorce. They may suffer from anxiety and abandonment issues due to the way their family is split up.
Why is Split Custody Done?
Why would parents decide to split up the siblings? There are several main reasons:
- Special needs. If one child has special needs and the other does not, the child with special needs may stay with the parent who can best support this situation. The other child can stay with the other parent to ensure they get the attention they need.
- Sibling rivalry. Sometimes sibling rivalry is so bad that it is in the children’s best interests to be separated. If there is immense aggression involved, it may be best to split up the children.
- Child’s preference. If the child is old enough (a teenager, for example), they may decide to live with one parent. Then the other parent may get custody of the other children.
What to Consider
Children often have temporary issues during and after a divorce. They tend to have a lot of frustration and anger as they watch their family being split up. Sometimes siblings rely on each other for emotional support, so it is not usually a good idea to split them up, especially if they are typically very close. Consider the relationship your children have with each other before opting for split custody.
Also, in a divorce, there are often situations of “good parent, bad parent,” in which one parent is stricter than the other parent. A teenager child might want to live with the less strict parent, but split custody does not help situations like this. In fact, it can actually lead to more problems.
Contact Our Pearland TX Child Custody Lawyers Today
Split custody is typically not done in Texas and other states. Judges typically will not order it, although the parents may prefer it in some cases.
Split custody can bring about communication issues among parents and emotional problems in children. Make sure you fully understand the downsides of this type of arrangement. Get legal help from Texas child custody attorney John Powell III, P.C. Schedule a consultation by calling (281) 747-6346 or filling out the online form.