Child’s Residence

When parents live separated, they must decide which one of the parents the child is going to live with. The wish and opinion of the child are important, but the decision must not be left to the child.

When considering the residence of the child it is important to take into account how the living and other matters that belong to the everyday life of the child would best work out. From the point of view of the child the important matters are how day care and school can best be organized and how the child can preserve his/her important relationships.

The child can only have one official residence, even if he/she lives an equal amount of time with each parent (alternating residence). The school, school transportation, and the right for a place in day care are determined by the child’s place of residence. The child can be counted as a member of only one household when granting housing allowance and many other benefits. Child benefit is paid only for one parent, primarily to the one the child is officially living with.