Alternating custody

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Alternating custody can have two different meanings. It is typically used when parents take turns having sole custody of a child based on a regular schedule, while the non-custodial parent has visitation rights. For example, the father may have sole custody on odd years while mother has sole custody on even years. Also called divided custody, this is a very rare type of child custody, typically utilized when the parents of a child live long distances away from each other. [1] [2] [3]

At other times, the term is used as a synonym for divided custody, a form of joint physical custody where the child lives approximately equal time with the two parent, for example with weekly or bi-weekly exchanges. [4]

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References

  1. Nancy Gilsan Gourley, Joint custody: The best interest of the child, Tulsa Law Review, 1982, 18:159.
  2. Mississippi law on custody and visitation, The Mississippi Bar
  3. Richard C. Guerriero, Louisiana's New Joint Custody Law, Louisiana Law Review, 1983, 43:759.
  4. Gour, Nancy G. (Fall 1982). "Joint Custody: The Best Interests of the Child". Tulsa Law Review. 18 (1): 161. Retrieved 16 November 2019.