Split Parenting Time
What is split parenting?
Each parent has primary parenting time (usually over 60%) with 1 or more children in a family. Each child spends time with a different parent. In other words, the children are living in different homes most of the time. Split parenting only applies when there is more than 1 child. For example: Child A lives with Parent 1 more than 60% of the time while Child B lives with Parent 2 over 60% of the time.
The parent with primary parenting time usually has sole decision-making responsibility as well as parenting time with the other child. Decision-making responsibility can be shared between the parents but generally does not happen.Â
Split parenting is different from shared parenting where each parent has at least 40% of the time with the same child. It is less common than shared parenting.
Why do judges generally not like split parenting?
Judges generally like to keep siblings together. This arrangement is okay for pre-teens or teenagers but not encouraged for younger children. It is not very common but sometimes beneficial for some siblings to be separated.
How is child support calculated?
Each parent figures out the table amount of child support for the number of children in the other parent’s care. In split parenting, just as in shared parenting, it is important not to treat the child support payments as a set off. Each parent should make their full monthly child support payment to the other in order to take advantage of tax benefits and credits available. The wording of the separation agreement or court order should detail that both parents pay child support so that these benefits are maximized. In essence, the one with the higher child support obligation is paying the set off amount which is the difference between child support obligations amount to the parent with lower child support obligations.