While shared physical custody often has many advantages, it may also have some emotional drawbacks for kids. If you and your ex-spouse have agreed to joint custody, you want to make the arrangement as beneficial as possible to the young ones in your family.
Fostering a low-stress custody exchange is critical. That is, when your scheduled parenting time begins and ends, you must hand off your kids to their other parent. Where is a good place to conduct the custody exchange?
Neutrality is important
Eventually, you may be able to exchange the kids at your home or your ex-spouse’s residence. Until custody exchanges become old hat, though, you should consider picking a neutral site. After all, if you had a bitter divorce or custody battle, simply stepping onto your ex-spouse’s turf may cause friction.
Convenience is key
While custody exchanges are always a bit of an inconvenience, no one wants to spend hours sitting in traffic or commuting to an exchange site. Consequently, you and your ex-spouse should work together to find a convenient location that is roughly equidistant between each of your homes.
Safety is paramount
Most importantly, your custody hand-off location should be safe. Researching crime statistics in all potential exchange places may be wise. Furthermore, you may want to choose a backup location to use during inclement weather or nighttime exchanges.
You likely have dozens of acceptable locations to hand off your kids. By prioritizing safety and looking for a convenient and neutral site, you make a good faith effort to pick the right one.