Custody Labels

Our clients don't want custody, they need it. We are hired by people who demand the best. Custody comes in many variations. As divorce practitioners, we have handled several custody cases. The following custody arrangements might be right for you:

Sole Custody: Sole custody is when one parent has custody, subject only to the other parent's visitation rights. The custodial parent receives support from the non-custodial parent. The parent who has custody is exclusively in charge of the health, education and welfare of the child or children and does not have to consult with the other parent about any of these issues. Sole custody is appropriate if parties do not work well together.

For some, custody is a win or lose proposition. This drives me nuts; after all, I'm a firm believer that children need both parents. However, there are those cases when a party truly believes that they are better for the child or that the child is in danger while in the care of the other party. Our attorneys can aggressively prosecute and defend custody matters because we have the experience needed to do so.

Joint Legal Custody - Primary Physical to One Parent: Here, the residential custodial parent is the person with whom the child resides most often. The court in this case is not granting joint legal custody to parties who cannot agree, between themselves, and act in the best interest of the children but the court is saying that, because of the age or other reasons related to the child, one parent is more active than the other relating to the child's physical presence.

Shared Parenting: This arrangement is appropriate in situations where people who work extremely well together, live in close proximity to the other and may have unique schedules that rely on cooperation from the other parent. In this arrangement, the parents share - to some degree - the time. Based on the specific agreement, each also has joint decision-making powers. Both have appropriate homes for the child or children. We often relay the shared parenting arrangement to clients as similar to that of a business partnership. Each parent has rights and responsibilities that are laid-out, in writing, just like partners would in a business venture.

No matter which arrangement works best for you, it's likely that you'll have a Parenting Plan that outlines rights and responsibilities. It's important to include the best phrases when you draft your agreement.