If you’ve ever seen a St. Louis court room, or even seen a brief mention of child custody laws and procedures, then you probably think that this is a topic that only attorneys and law firms practice. While it doesn’t mandate state court judges to hand out 50 joint custody timeshare, it shows that equal shared custody be awarded as much as possible. Simply put, 50 joint custody isn’t guaranteed. That’s why the judges make all custody related decisions with the child’s best interests in mind first. But there are a few guidelines that the court will consider, especially when both parents are unable to get along.
Child Custody Mediation. There are many Lennon divorce law attorney that will work with you on a one on one mediation. This is a great option for people who don’t feel they can agree on terms for their child custody. Both parents can meet and discuss things with their lawyer before going into mediation. A mediator is a third party that can help get you a quick, fair and binding divorce decree. For more information about child custody mediation, visit www.stlouisdivorcelawyers.net/child-custody/.
Joint Physical Custody. If you and your spouse can’t agree on a schedule for visitation or if one parent has a job that requires extra time spent with the child than another parent should be awarded full custody. If physical abuse or other type of abuse is a factor in the dispute then the parent that is less violent should be awarded primary physical custody. Both parents must agree to this, but if physical abuse is proven, the court will use its own discretion in deciding which parent is awarded the physical visitation time.
Sole Legal Custody. When joint physical custody is granted by the court, the parent with whom the child is residing is given sole legal custody. This means that all of the child’s decisions are made by only one parent, unless the court allows joint legal custody to be shared.
Sole Legal Custody allows both parents to make decisions regarding the child. This includes healthcare decisions, schooling decisions, and any other decision that is involved with the child. This is often times better than joint physical custody because it gives each parent more influence over the child. However, sole custody also restricts the amount of time the child spends with each parent. Each parent has sole legal custody for around sixty days during the year.
Child Custody Agreements are different depending on where you live. In the state of Tennessee, joint legal custody is allowed by a judge. In the state of California, the parents must come to an agreement regarding parenting time and any other issues. The court can issue orders for either parent to have the children complete their schooling, or spend equal time with each parent. Child Custody Agreements are the key to establish parenting time for the children.