No abstract

Split custody is an unpopular post-divorce family arrangement because of predictions that it deprives children of sibling support and impedes their adjustment to parents' divorce. The present study collected demographic details of two hundred split-custody families. Fifty-four parents and thirty children completed questionnaires. Thirty-nine of these parents and nineteen children were interviewed.Children's wishes contributed to the adoption of the arrangement in most families. Parents' unhappiness with split custody stemmed from their separation from a child. Children exercised frequent access to noncustodial parents and separated siblings. Split custody did not weaken sibling or parent/child relationships nor lead to parent/child alliances. It appeared to work well in many families for both parents and children.