When a pair of Minnesota parents file for divorce, the decision usually causes disruption in their children’s lives. Even so, good parents want what is best for their kids and are typically willing to cooperate and compromise to protect their children’s best interests and minimize stress when they choose to end a marriage. To maintain a sense of normalcy and routine in their children’s daily lives, many parents are trying a form of custody commonly referred to as “bird-nesting.”
When a child custody plan includes a bird-nest agreement, it means that the parents of the children involved agree to share the home that their kids live in. In rare cases, both parents might simultaneously live in the home, sectioning it off into private areas for each parent. Far more common is a child custody agreement where each parent takes turns living in the house with the kids. This, of course, has implications for the parent not living there at the time.
Both parents must have secondary residences lined up
When a parent is not living with his or her children during a bird-nesting child custody arrangement, that person must have somewhere else to live. Understandably, this generates an expense in connection with the divorce. Many parents choose to rent out a small, studio apartment or room in someone else’s home rather than purchase another house or rent a larger living space since they do not need a lot of room because their kids are living at the main house.
What if bird-nesting custody does not work?
Minnesota parents do not have to commit to a permanent bird-nest child custody plan. Many parents agree to try it for a time to see if it is a good fit for their family. Parents will want to keep in mind, however, that they must adhere to terms included in the court order unless and until the judge overseeing the case modifies it.
