When considering post-divorce arrangements for you and your family, it’s important to account for the unique needs of all children involved. Thinking about how possible child custody arrangements may impact parental and sibling dynamics can give you the opportunity to choose a child custody plan that better suits the particular circumstances of your family. For instance, there are cases where splitting custody of children in the family is the most appropriate option in Illinois.
LegalZoom.com explains that while family law courts typically implement child custody arrangements that keep siblings in the same household, they may be willing to consider split custody in your case under particular circumstances. Split custody could allow for you to maintain physical custody of one or more child and have visitation rights to another child. Split custody arrangements also create a scenario where your children would live in separate households. As a result, the decision to implement split custody is taken very seriously.
As with all child custody arrangements, the best interests of the children involved are at the heart of split custody decisions. That means that the parenting plan established in your case would likely include stipulations for sibling visitation time. Ensuring that your children have consistent access to one another may be top priority. Similarly, the court might also take into account whether your children have a preference over which parent they would prefer to live with the majority of the time. The fact that your children may be half-siblings might not play such a significant role in split custody arrangements as how closely bonded they are either.
Discussing split custody, it can also be helpful to consider how your personal finances may be affected by such arrangements. You and your child’s other parent may prefer splitting custody because one or both of you are unable to financially support several children. Agreeing to split custody does not necessarily mean, however, that your children’s other parent is not obligated to provide some level of child support.
The decision to split custody must be based on the particular circumstances of your case. As a result, this information cannot be used as legal advice.
