At The Colwell Law Group, LLC, we know how important it is to you that a custody arrangement is quickly reached when you and your spouse are separating or dissolving your marriage. We also know that reaching a custody arrangement may be no easy feat; unless you and your spouse are in agreement regarding with whom the child should live and who should have legal decision making power over a child, reaching a custody decision can be very difficult. Our experienced Schenectady County child custody lawyers can guide you throughout the family law process and help you to understand all options. This difficult process could be made easier with a trustworthy family attorney.
In New York, there are two parts of a child custody arrangement: legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody refers to decision-making powers regarding important elements of the child’s life, such as the religion the child will be raised or where the child will go to school. Physical custody, on the other hand, refers to with which parent the child will spend the majority of their time, and who is responsible for the child’s physical supervision and care.
Custody may also be sole or joint. If physical custody is sole, for example, this means that the child lives with one parent more than half of the time, but may still have visitation with the other parent. If physical custody is joint, the child will live with each parent 50 percent of the time.
No matter what type of custody you require, a child custody attorney could be a benefit to your pursuit.
As stated above, it may be possible for you and your child’s other parent to reach a custody agreement without going to court. If you and your child’s other parent cannot come to an agreement, then you will each be responsible for submitting a parenting plan to the court. If your case goes to court, a judge will be responsible for making a determination regarding child custody. A judge must make a custody decision based on the best interests of the child, which are determined by weighing a number of considerations.
Going to court for child custody is sometimes a necessary step, but it is rarely an ideal one; not only is going to court expensive and time-consuming, but it is almost always within a child’s best interest for parents to remain on amicable terms with one another, and court can be very divisive. A child custody lawyer could properly prepare someone for these discussions.
We know that you want the best for your child, and that you probably want your child custody case finished as quickly, and with as little confrontation, as possible. When cases are complex and parents are unable to reach an agreement, our child custody attorneys can step in and offer clarity and a clear path moving forward. We also represent parents who are in agreement, reviewing custody plans before they are submitted to the court.
If you are a parent and custody of your child is up in the air, let our Schenectady County child custody lawyers represent you. You can reach our child custody law firm today to schedule your initial consultation by filling out the intake form on our website, or just calling us directly.
Learn how to help your kids cope with your divorce with our complimentary guide for parents who are getting divorced or separated in New York.
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