Level of emotional adjustment of both parents prior to the divorce. Arrangements are planned around the children s needs and developmental requirements. Schedules are predictable and stable but flexible enough to change when circumstances dictate it. Parents live in physical proximity. Parents are careful to support and not undermine each other, regardless of their feelings about each other.
Financial resources are available to maintain two full residences.
Children whose parents are in less conflict will fare best in either arrangement. Divorce mediation offers the best structure for discussing and negotiating both large and small details of your parenting agreement. Our adversarial system, in contrast, sets you up to do battle with each other, and allows lawyers and judges to negotiate decisions for you. This can be expensive both financially and emotionally. Once a downward cycle of demands and accusations gets started, it s very difficult to reach agreement, and even harder to generate long-term good will.