What is a Nesting Arrangement?

A nesting arrangement is a method of co-parenting that has gained popularity in recent years. In a traditional arrangement, the family home will be sold and each parent will get their own place, whether it is an apartment, house, or staying with a family member. The children will then switch off staying in either parent’s house. This can cause issues for the child as they struggle to adjust to the unpredictability of their new life. Other forms of co-parenting can work better for children, including nesting arrangements. Read on for more information and reach out to family lawyer Mark S. Guralnick for legal advice.

How Does a Nesting Arrangement Work?

If you and your ex decide to choose a nesting arrangement, you will maintain ownership of your family home. Your children will continue living there as they were, and you and your spouse will move out. You can stay with family and friends or find a new home or apartment. Instead of your children traveling back and forth between your and your ex’s home every week or two weeks, you and your ex will switch off staying in the family home.

When it is your turn with the children you will pack a bag and go back to your home. There you will parent as normal, doing all of the things you usually do with your kids. When it is your spouse’s turn with them, you will leave the house and they will arrive to take over.

When Does a Nesting Arrangement Work?

There are only specific times when a nesting arrangement will work for a family and most of those situations depend on the parents. Living with a nesting arrangement will mean that the parents have to continue sharing a home even if they are not coexisting in it at the same time. They need to trust each other and cooperate when it comes to privacy, chores, and boundaries. They will also need to effectively communicate regularly to make it work.

It is worth noting that it can be more expensive to use a nesting arrangement. The family’s finances will have to also allow for this situation.

What Are the Pros and Cons?

As with any arrangement, there are good and bad things about implementing a nesting arrangement. When deciding how to co-parent, you will have to determine if the pros outweigh the cons for your unique family.

Pros:

• Children remain in the same home, offering stability and the opportunity to stay in the same school district with their friends
• You are not pressured to sell the family home as soon as possible and can retain that as an asset
• You do not have to buy doubles for the children or pack up all of their belongings
• If it works, you and your ex will become efficient and cooperative co-parents

Cons:

• The divorce can be difficult for the children to understand if it feels like nothing has changed
• It can be very expensive to pay for your home and one or two additional residences for you and your ex-spouse
• You may feel like you do not have privacy because you are sharing a space with your ex
• It can be emotionally difficult to share a home and finances with your former partner

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