Glossary · Swiss and international law
Alternating custody (CC art. 298a)
Arrangement in which the child lives alternately with each parent — possible whenever the concrete conditions allow it.
Reference : CC art. 298a
Alternating custody requires :
- geographic proximity of the two homes (school, daycare, doctor accessible from both);
- real availability of both parents to handle daily life;
- functional parental communication on significant decisions;
- respect for the child’s welfare — confirmed through the child’s hearing from age 6.
In a cross-border Geneva-Annemasse context, alternating custody is frequent but the daily back-and-forth must remain compatible with the child’s school life.