Family Law: Child Custody Options

21 March 2019
 Categories: Law, Blog

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If you have children and have recently gone through a divorce, chances are you are currently trying to figure out how to handle the custody of your children. This can be a very scary topic for many parents since their children are often the center of their world. The thought of losing one's children can bring on a lot of fear, anger, and guilt all at the same time. Before you panic and make rash decisions, you may want to consult a family law attorney.

There are many different options for how child custody cases can be resolved. A family law attorney can help you to figure out what your goal is for the care of your children, along with getting you as close to your goal as possible. Here are a few ways that a child custody case could go down.

Sole Custody

Sole custody is when the care of a child is awarded entirely to one parent. This can happen in cases when one parent is found unfit to parent, such as if they are in prison or deep in drugs. In sole custody cases, there can be visitation rights for the other parent, though the child is not allowed to live with them and the parent is not allowed to make any legal decisions for them. Should one parent, let's say the father, be granted sole custody due to drug problems of the mother, all is not lost for the mother. After cleaning up her act, she may appeal the ruling and try to get custody of her children again.

Legal Custody

Legal custody can be awarded to one or both parents for a child. This gives parents the right to make legally binding decisions for their children, along with teaching them religion. This also includes medical decisions as well as schooling options for a child.

Physical Custody

Physical custody can also be awarded to one or both parents. This determines where the child is allowed to live. If parents live close to one another, physical custody may be shared, since the child can regularly go to both houses.

It is important that parents ponder what they are really able to give their children and to seek custody accordingly. A family law attorney may be able to help you determine what you are capable of giving your children and proving your case to a court. Contact a lawyer like the Law Office of Faye Riva Cohen, P.C. for more information.