Murrieta Child Custody Attorney
Amicable Solutions to Divorce and Family Law Issues
Of all
family law cases and issues in a
divorce, those involving child custody tend to be the most emotionally charged.
Regardless of how turbulent the marriage might have been, usually neither
parent is fond of the idea of losing the right to see their child on a
daily basis. For many more, rearing their child is not something with
which they can entrust another person.
If you are facing such a distressing situation, it is important to take
a step back and review the situation with the help of an outside perspective.
Let the Murrieta child custody lawyers at Hanson, Gorian, Bradford &
Hanich come to your aid and provide you with compassionate and knowledgeable
legal counsel when you need it most.
Contact us today to learn more about what a divorce lawyer in Murrieta can do for
you and your family.
How are Child Custody Rights Decided in Court?
Whether your divorce is
contested or
uncontested, custody rights and the related subject of
visitation determine the living arrangements of the children once your divorce is
complete. If you do not win a favorable agreement, you could wind up only
seeing your children on weekends, or having to drive miles out of your
own city to pick them up after school. In order for you to get a solution
that matches your best interests, it also has to align to the best interests
of your children. Family law judges make a point to do whatever is "best
for the children," no matter how unfair it might seem to one or both
of the spouses.
Other important aspects that will be considered when determining child
custody include:
- Age of the child
- Health of the child
- Child's comfortability in current schooling situation
- Income and living standard of each spouse
-
Criminal history (domestic violence) of each spouse
-
Either spouse's need for
alimony or
child support
In some cases, especially when the child is older, the judge may refer
to them directly to see what they would prefer. This is usually only done
when all children are teenagers, or when the parents cannot seem to communicate
with one another.
What Is Legal Custody?
There are two types of custody in California: “legal” and “physical.”
Legal custody is a parent’s right to make major decisions on a child’s
behalf regarding their personal welfare, safety, health, and education,
whereas physical custody refers to which parent a child spends their time
with. . Like most other issues during divorce, divorcing spouses may collaborate
with each other to determine legal custody rights on their own. In the
event that an agreement cannot be reached, the courts may step in and
make a decision on their behalf. Legal custody can be awarded either in
full to one parent or jointly to both parents, depending on which option
would be in the best interests of the child.
Parents with legal custody have a right to make the following types of
decisions for their child:
- Where a child will attend school
- Whether a child will be raised practicing a certain religion
- Whether a child should receive non-emergency medical care
California family courts generally favor joint legal custody arrangements,
though equal splits in decision-making power are not always guaranteed.
Judges can make certain aspects of legal custody sole without making a
complete order for legal custody in scenarios when one parent is far better
equipped to deal with certain issues than the other.
Important Family Matters Require Undivided Attention
When your child's well-being is up in the air, you need to react quickly
and with an experienced child custody lawyer by your side. Trying to sort
out your difference alone could lead to undesirable outcomes that completely
ignore your needs. Whether your matters must go to court or if they can
be solved through
mediation, our divorce attorneys in Murrieta are here to help you. Our priority
is to find a solution that respects your wishes while never putting any
unnecessary stress upon your shoulders.
Reasons we should be your first choice of advocacy include:
Don't leave so much up to chance. Call 951.506.6654 at your earliest
convenience
to start taking control of your child custody dispute.