Telford Child Custody Lawyers
Experienced Family Law Attorneys in Telford Represent Child Custody Clients Throughout PA
Child custody is often the most contentious and emotionally-fraught aspect of any divorce proceeding, especially when it involves younger children who have close relationships with both parents. In addition, child custody matters can continue to create acrimonious disputes between parents for years after a divorce or separation. For the benefit of both children and parents, it is critical that parents reach an agreement on custody arrangements as soon as possible to prevent disruption to the children’s lives. When necessary, the Pennsylvania courts can decide on child custody arrangements for you and your child’s other parent. Whether you and your child’s other parent are attempting to reach an agreement or have submitted your child custody dispute to the courts, you need a dedicated, knowledgeable child custody lawyer in Telford, PA who will fight to protect the interests and rights of both you and your children during the custody determination process.
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The experienced Telford child custody lawyers of Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C. will work with you to ensure that you understand your rights and options in a child custody proceeding. We will help you to work with your child’s other spouse to reach an agreement regarding child custody, if possible, so as to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain of involving the courts. We will take the time to understand your goals and interests so we have all available information when trying to negotiate a child custody arrangement or when making the most persuasive argument possible before the court to get you your preferred custody arrangement that serves your child’s best interests.
Child Custody Laws in PA
Child custody involves a parent’s rights to the physical and legal control of their child and is divided into physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody, as the name suggests, is a parent’s right to be in physical possession of their child, while legal custody is a parent’s right to make decisions in the child’s life, including medical care, education, and religious upbringing.
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Examples of physical custody arrangements include:
- Sole custody: Sole custody is an arrangement when one parent has physical custody of a child at all times and the other parent has no physical custody rights
- Primary custody: Primary custody is an arrangement when one parent is designated as the primary caregiver and has physical custody of a child for a majority of the time
- Joint custody: Joint custody arrangements are ones where both parents share roughly equal amounts of time of physical custody (although one parent may still be designated as the primary custodian for tax and other purposes)
- Partial physical custody: Partial physical custody arrangements allow a non-custodial parent to have physical custody of a child on limited, specified occasions (such as weekends or holidays)
- Visitation: Visitation allows a non-custodial parent to spend time with their child but does not allow that parent to take the child out of the custody of the other parent. Visitations can be supervised or unsupervised
Finally, it should be noted that, in all circumstances where a court makes a custody arrangement, the court will select an arrangement that is ultimately in the child’s best interest.
Skilled Telford Child Custody Lawyers Help Clients During Difficult Child Custody Cases
Although courts make child custody determinations with the “best interests of the child” as the overriding concern, determining a child’s best interest is not necessarily a straightforward process. Instead, courts look at multiple statutory factors, including:
- The current custodial arrangement
- Whether one parent already provides primary physical care for the child
- The parents’ willingness to share custody
- Whether one parent is more likely to foster the child’s relationship with the other parent
- The stability of each parent’s living situation
- The location of siblings and extended family
- Any history of domestic abuse or criminal activity by either parent
- The child’s preference, if the child is mature enough to express a reasoned preference
Custody
Parent Awarded Right to Relocate to Another State
Grandparent Custody
Grandparent Awarded Custody of Grandchild
The Telford child custody attorneys of Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C. will ensure that you are prepared for every aspect of the process, including potential complications that may arise and the steps you can take to address those complications.
Contact Us to Schedule a Free Consultation to Discuss Your Child Custody Matter with an Experienced Child Custody Attorney in Telford
Our Telford child custody lawyers understanding that protecting your child is your paramount concern. That is why our attorneys are dedicated to helping you protect your child’s interests under your family’s specific circumstances. If you are having difficulty obtaining a fair and workable child custody arrangement for your family or need the advice of an experienced family law attorney, contact our Telford child custody attorneys today to schedule a consultation to learn more about your rights and options and how our legal team can help you. Call us or fill our “Contact Us” page and one of our experienced child custody attorneys will respond shortly.
Frequently Asked Questions about Child Custody
When both parents are expected to have significant periods of custody of their children, a shared custody arrangement can provide the family with useful flexibility. In shared custody, a child will live with both parents. The parents may decide on an arrangement that involves a week-on/week-off schedule, a bi-weekly schedule, or a three-day/four-day schedule. Shared physical custody also typically involve the parents sharing legal custody as well, which means that the parents must come to a consensus on decision-making for their child. As a result, shared custody arrangements require an amicable working relationship between both parents.
Child custody is not a one-time, “set it and forget it” process. Your life, your child’s parent’s life, and your child’s life will necessarily change over time. As a result, child custody arrangements may need to change as well. Conversely, you may need to enforce your agreed-upon arrangement if your child’s other parent refuses to honor it. If you do not have a formal custody order from a court, your ability to enforce your agreement with your child’s other parent may be limited if they stop honoring that agreement, and you may need to go to court eventually to obtain a custody arrangement that works for all parties.
