A traditional child custody arrangement usually involves moving the children between homes. For example, the father may have an apartment where the kids live for one week, and then they move to their mother’s house for the next week. The children swap back and forth so that their parents can share custody after the divorce.
Nesting, however, changes the obligation to move. The children have one home where they live all the time. Typically, this is the family home where they grew up. The parents don’t sell it during property division but continue to own it jointly so their kids can keep living there.
How do they share custody?
To split custody, the parents take turns being “on duty.” If the father has custody, he moves into the house with them. When his week ends, he moves out, and the children’s mother moves in.
One advantage of this arrangement is that it provides the children with more stability. They don’t have to move, but they always know a parent will be in the house to take care of them.
That said, there are certainly downsides. The biggest one is the expense. Both parents have to share the costs of the family home, or “nest,” where the children live. On top of that, they need at least one additional home where the off-duty parent can live when they don’t have custody.
While this may not be a viable solution for all families, it does offer some advantages for those who can afford it. It also shows why it’s essential to consider all of your options during the child custody process.