If you are planning to share custody of your children with your ex-spouse after your divorce becomes final, you should prepare yourself for some growing pains. After all, according to Psychology Today, it can take a great deal of time to acclimate yourself to a shared-custody arrangement. This is true even if your soon-to-be ex-spouse is a reasonable and rational person.
Custody transfers are often contentions, especially during the first few months after a new custody agreement. A custody transfer is when you hand off physical custody of your kids to your ex when his or her parenting time begins. Putting the location for your custody transfer into your custody agreement helps you minimize conflict both with your ex and with your kids.
Consider each parent’s effort
Neither you nor your soon-to-be ex-spouse should have to bear all the burden of commuting to and from the custody transfer site. Therefore, when you are choosing a transfer location, you should consider your effort and your co-parent’s. If it is feasible, try to pick a spot that is approximately equidistant between each of your homes or workplaces.
Think about everyone’s safety
You do not want to transfer custody of your kids in an unsafe place, especially if your co-parent tends to run late. Generally, it makes good sense to swap custody in a well-lit and weather-appropriate spot. To provide even more certainty, you should consider picking a primary transfer site and a backup one.
Even if you choose an optimal spot to transfer custody, life may interfere with your custody swaps. Ultimately, by communicating with your ex early and clearly, you likely can keep your custody transfers from turning into heated arguments.
