When Immediate Custody and Moving Decisions Must Wait

One of the problems that is on the minds of most divorcing couples is how custody and moving might affect the children. This is especially important for those who have children in middle school and high school because any kind of decision affecting custody and moving is likely to have a detrimental effect on the children. The divorce itself will have a disastrous effect, but if the children are forced to move to a new home where they must attend a new school and thus have to make new friends it will be even worse. Children are always uncomfortable leaving friends they have had for a long time, and this should be something to keep in mind before you make any final decisions about custody and moving.
Of course, there are other things that may affect a couple's decision to delay custody and moving besides taking children away from their friends and school. Some other factors that may create the need to either delay the process of custody and moving include any number of the following (but is not limited to these reasons):
• Health conditions of either the spouse or children
• Financial considerations of the couple
• Responsibilities of either as caregivers for a terminally ill relative
• Conditions of the real estate market that may affect the price at which they can sell the marital home
• Impending move by either spouse because of job relocation—they may decide to delay any decisions on custody and moving until the relocation is finalized
While these are only a few of the reasons that may affect a couple's decision to delay any decisions on custody and moving, there may be others as well. Some couples even make the decision to continue living in the same house until the children graduate from high school or other mitigating circumstances are no longer present. Some couples delay the decision because they have a child or children that are already suffering from emotional problems, and they don't want to add to the trauma with talk of custody and moving. While being separated but living in the same house can be an awkward situation, it works well for those couples that make the effort to do what is necessary.
Current economic conditions also force many couples to delay decisions about custody and moving because neither can afford to live separately. Even though there is a breakdown in the marriage, they strive to continue living in the marital home because they have no other choice. It may be that one of the spouse's is laid off or has been forced to accept a position that doesn't pay enough money to support a second residence. In the case of the father figure, it may mean he is unable to pay both rent and child support, so he remains in the family home and makes the most of a bad situation. Children are much happier when their parents are in the same home even if they aren't actually living together as long as they do not argue and fight with one another.