Characteristics of post-separation families in the Netherlands: Shared residence versus resident mother arrangements

Besides the traditional post-separation residential arrangement in which the children live with the mother and have regular contact with the father, new arrangements have emerged and become more widespread in which parents strive for a more equal division of tasks. We used an explanatory mixed methods research design to enhance insight into the life course characteristics of separated parents involved in shared residence arrangements. Survey data derived from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (NKPS) and Divorce in the Netherlands 1998 were supplemented with information from in-depth interviews with NKPS respondents. We found that shared residence parents seem to be a typical modern category of separated parents with a specific set of characteristics. The distance between the residences of the ex-partners plays a crucial role in maintaining a shared residence arrangement. Highly educated, dual-career ex-couples, and those with high incomes are also more likely to be involved in a shared residence arrangement. Shared residence arrangements were more likely when the woman had a new partner, but less likely when the man had a new partner. Our findings on gender differences are in line with the idea that involvement in non-traditional residential arrangements is a sign of increased paternal involvement, but decreased maternal involvement, compared with the traditional arrangements. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.