During any Bergen County divorce or dissolution of a legal relationship process, one of the most difficult, and important, issues that will need to be decided is that of child custody and parenting time. Many times, both parents will wish to play an active role in the lives of their children, and will pursue a shared custody arrangement. However, this kind of arrangement often leads to children regularly shuffling back and forth between homes, and while it may be the fairest solution for the parents, it is often very difficult and stressful for the children involved.
With this in mind, a new type of child custody agreement is quickly rising in popularity. Nesting arrangements, or “bird’s nest custody”, is a unique type of child custody arrangement which allows for shared custody and parenting time, while eliminating the children’s “back and forth” lifestyle normal to more traditional shared custody arrangements.
What Is Bird’s Nest Child Custody in Bergen County?
A bird’s nest child custody arrangement involves a single home for the children, referred to as “the nest”, wherein parents take turns living and acting as the primary caregiver of the children. This regular arrival and departure of parents is what inspires the name “bird’s nest custody”.
Bird’s nest custody has the obvious benefit of providing a single home for the children involved, eliminating the complications and stress of moving between multiple custodial homes. While clearly advantageous for the children involved, bird’s nest custody can be difficult for the parents, and require a special commitment and willingness to work as co-parents after a marriage that isn’t possible in every situation.
Requirements for a Successful Nesting Arrangement in Bergen County
In order for a nesting arrangement child custody plan to be successful, parents will need to ensure several important factors:
- Parents must be able to cooperate as co-parents. Even though their romantic and financial commitments to each other are now over, divorced parents will still need to able to coordinate expenses, schedules, and details about their children’s in order for a nesting arrangement to be successful for all parties involved.
- Nesting arrangements also usually require greater financial resources, as most nesting arrangements will involve paying for “the nest”, and a separate residence for each parent. While it is possible for parents to share a single private residence for the times when they are not living in the nest, this arrangement poses obvious difficulties for most divorced couples. In general, you and your family should be prepared to support the expense of three homes when pursuing bird’s nest custody.
- Parents must also have clearly defined schedules and boundaries in a nesting arrangement. If it is one parent’s turn to live in the nest, it is important that the other parent gives them the same space and parental freedoms they would be afforded in a more traditional child custody arrangement. Furthermore, it is generally recommended that each parent have their own private space within the nest, accessible only by that parent.
How Can I Get a Bird’s Nest Child Custody Arrangement During my Divorce?
Family courts may at times order temporary bird’s nest custody during a divorce, usually when the divorcing couple is trying to sell the family home but has not yet secured residences of their own. However, this is fairly rare, and only temporary bird’s nest custody will be ordered by the courts.
Courts recognize the many difficulties that a bird’s nest custody arrangement can present to the parents involved, so if you are interested in securing a permanent bird’s nest child custody agreement, the general rule of thumb is that both you and your spouse will need to voluntarily agree to such an arrangement.
If you believe that you and your former spouse can cooperate as co-parents, respect each other’s boundaries and parental rights, and have the financial means to pursue bird’s nest custody, then you should speak with your Bergen County child custody lawyer about your options regarding negotiating, drafting, and finalizing, a bird’s nest child custody agreement.
Contact Our Hackensack Child Custody Lawyers Today
At The Law Office of Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark, our attorneys have extensive experience helping clients across Ridgewood, Fort Lee, Hackensack, and the greater Bergen County area to successfully resolve their divorce and all related issues like child custody, child support, alimony, and division of marital assets and debt.
By practicing exclusively family law, our firm can focus on providing you with the knowledgeable, effective, and personal service you need and deserve when it comes to the issues most important to you and your family. We understand exactly how important your legal, financial, and parental future is to you, and is why we strive to secure the outcomes that best take these needs into account.
To speak with our firm today in a free and confidential consultaiton regarding your child custody settlement, or a potential nesting arrangment, please contact us online, or through our Hackensack, NJ office at (201) 397-1750..
