Having to split time with your child is difficult, but if you have a good custody schedule, it may be easier. If you and your spouse intend to split custody 50-50 following your divorce, you will both have a good amount of time with your child. These schedules aren't always easy to create, though.

With a 50-50 schedule, you need to remember that it might not be perfect. Since there are only seven days in a week, getting the exact amount of time you'd need to have half custody may be more difficult.

How do parents divide custody time in half?

There are a few good schedules to try. The first is an alternating weeks schedule. Another is the “alternating every two weeks” schedule. A third alternative is having the kids switch every other day. Here's a rough breakdown of how they work:

Alternating weeks

If you and your spouse will live close together, an alternating weeks schedule may work. With this schedule, you each take one week of custody before your child goes to the other parent's home. They switch homes once a week.

Every two-weeks

Two-week custody schedules are similar to alternating weeks schedules, but your child will go to the other parent's home for two weeks before coming back to yours for two weeks.

Every-other-day

A third option is an every-other-day schedule. With young children, you can exchange custody every other day, so that they get time with both of you equally and have time to build a strong bond with both parents.

It isn't always easy to determine the right custody schedule for your needs. Your attorney may be able to use their experience to offer you some useful guidance.