Colorado one of the most favorable states for divorced fathers

There’s a national trend for giving divorced fathers more time with their children. Last year, more than 20 states in the US considered enacting laws that encourage equal parenting time after divorce or made shared time the default. According to a recent study, parenting time varies dramatically according to what state you live in. For example, fathers in Tennessee are awarded a woeful 21.8% of parenting time with their children. Illinois was also among the least favorable states for divorced fathers. The study was compiled by Custody X Change, a Utah-based company that sells software to help divorced parents divide custody and create parenting plans

How Does Colorado Stack Up?

Colorado is one of the most favorable states for fathers going through a divorce or in a child custody dispute. There is no Colorado law that makes equal parenting time the default. However, according to the study most Colorado legal professionals confirmed that the most commonly awarded schedule is 50/50. The study is not without its faults, but is a convenient starting place to discuss the options for shared visitation schedules.

50/50 Parenting Time Schedules

Alternating Weeks:

The first option is very straightforward: one week on, one week off. Parents can exchange in the middle of the week (Wednesday) so that you both get a mix of school and weekend time. Or they can exchange on Mondays or Fridays (shown below). You could also use school as an exchange point during the school year to minimize contact with the other parent. This schedule is usually the best for parents that really struggle with communication, i.e. fight, because it reduces contact and exchanges. Some parents even go 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off.

2-2-5-5 Schedule:

This scenario gives long stretches of time with each parent, but also considers that an entire week is a long time for a parent to be away from the kids, especially with younger kids. Here are some examples of these schedules:

3-4-4-3 Schedule:

This schedule contemplates one parent having the children 4 days one week and then 3 days the following week. The other parent gets 3 days the first week and then 4 days the second week. Here is an example of how this schedule looks on a calendar:

2-2-3 Schedule:

This is similar to the 3-4-4-3 schedule, where one parent has the children more one week and less the next. In this schedule, the children will live with a parent for 2 days, then switch to the other parent for 2 days, then return to the first parent for 3 days. The next week, the schedule switches.

Alternating Every 2-days:

This is another straightforward option. The downside is that it means a lot of exchanges and the kids are constantly in flux. The upside is that each parent has a short time without the kids.

As you can see, there are a lot of parenting schedule options with variations of each choice. The schedules outlined above do not represent every possibility out there for 50/50 agreements, but are meant to give an idea of some of the more common approaches to shared parenting time.

Kalamaya | Goscha is a Colorado law firm founded by Ryan Kalamaya and Amy Goscha. The boutique mountain law practice specializes in divorce, child custody, and family law. Kalamaya | Goscha has law offices in Edwards, Aspen, and Glenwood Springs. To speak to an attorney call (970) 315-2365.