For Ohio couples with kids, getting a divorce can be particularly difficult. Even if the divorce is amicable, the children can still have difficulties with the transition from one household to two. In order to help their children, some former couples choose “nesting,” also known as “birdnesting,” as a way to keep the children’s home life stable.
Nesting is when a former couple keeps the family home. The children live in the family home full time, and the adults take turns living with the children. The parent who is not currently staying with the kids lives in a separate shared residence in the meantime. Since the kids are not being shuffled between residences, their home lives are not being as disrupted while the divorce is occurring. During the divorce, the kids will be able to stay at their same school and keep their same friend group.
It should be noted that nesting generally only works for short periods of up to six months. If the nesting period lasts too long, the children may begin to believe that their parents are working on reconciling. Further, the parents need to be on good terms in order for this arrangement to work. If they are not on good terms, sharing a residence could result in new conflicts, especially if both individuals are starting to move on.
Even if a divorcing couple is able to remain amicable, there are numerous legal issues that must be resolved. Depending on the situation, these issues could include child custody and child support issues and the division of marital assets. An attorney may be able to assist with creating a parenting schedule that is in the best interests of the children while helping ensure that a parent receives a fair share of the marital assets he or she helped to obtain during the marriage.