Experts Say 50-50 Rule Does Not Work

June 5, 2009

Three years ago, it was proposed that after a divorce, most children would be best served if they were allowed to spend 50 percent of their time with their father and 50 percent of their time with their mother. However, as many cases have shown in the previous three years, this is not a frequent occurrence. In addition, experts in family law have said that it may not be the most beneficial to children.

This proposed law creates two problems: one, the children aren’t always happy being split between two homes, two schools and two lives and many crave some stability. The other problem is that parents feel that they are entitled to 50 percent of their children’s time, so this often creates a battleground between the mother and father.

This is in relation to a situation where the judge in the divorce case grants sole custody to one parent and sets specific visitation guidelines for the other. Many believe that though this puts one parent at a disadvantage, ultimately the child or children involved are better served.

Splitting the time that a child or children spend with their parents 50/50 can result in shuttling them across states or even across the country. They may not be able to form an attachment to one home, because they spend so much time moving between the two.