Understanding how time-sharing works in New Jersey custody cases (and what kinds of time-shares are common) can help you obtain the best results for your child. Today, we're covering what you need to know about time-sharing in your custody battle.
To schedule a consultation with our team, contact us online or via phone at (908) 274-3028.
Custody in New Jersey
In most child custody cases, courts encourage joint custody, meaning the child lives with each parent throughout the year and the parents share legal and physical custody of the child.
However, courts do sometimes determine one parent is unfit for custody, either because they represent a danger to the child or extenuating circumstances (such as their profession) prevent a child from seeing them regularly. One parent may obtain sole custody in such cases, meaning the child lives with them, and they have legal and physical custody. However, the other parent can still obtain visitation to see their child.
Common Time-Shares in New Jersey
Parents with joint custody in New Jersey often adopt one of the following schedules:
- Week on, week off. In this arrangement, parents switch off custody on one day of the week - oftentimes, Friday afternoon when they can pick up the child from school. This means each parent gets every other weekend and week with their child. It's a great time-share for parents with stable schedules.
- 2-2-3. In a 2-2-3 schedule, one parent gets their child for two days, after which the other gets the child for the same amount of time. Finally, the starting parent gets the child for three days, after which the cycle alternates. This can be a good alternative to the week on, week off schedule for parents with work on certain days or uncertain schedules.
If you're in a sole custody arrangement and one party has visitation or less frequent custodial rights, however, your time-share will probably depend on the circumstances of your case. For example, your child could spend every other weekend with the noncustodial parent, or that parent could have visitation rights once every two weeks.
At DeTommaso Family Law, we'll work with you to establish the perfect parenting plan for your child.
To schedule a consultation with our team, contact us online or via phone at (908) 274-3028.