Child Custody
In the United States, there are about 12.9 million custodial parents, and 40% of states in the US aim to give equal custody time to both parents. Child custody is an issue of growing importance in the United States, and custodial parents often have trouble deciding who will have custody rights over the child. Even when people are parting amicably, the division of time, money, and responsibility for the children they have together often breeds new conflict.
Daniel Albert Law firm makes it easy for child custody procedures to take place in the hands of experienced attorneys. Our child custody rights lawyers fight for the right of the deserving parent to secure child custody.
Child Custody and Visitation also often overlap with facets of divorce law. Child custody refers to the legal obligation and right a parent or guardian has to care for, make decisions for, supervise, educate and control a minor child for whom they are responsible. The issue of child custody may arise in any of the following situations:
- when a married couple with a minor child of the marriage seeks a divorce
- when two unmarried parents of a minor child cannot come to an agreement about custody outside of court
- when a parent or legal guardian is found to be unfit or dangerous for the child’s well-being by a court or state agency
- when either or both parents are absent or deceased
Custody is not limited to the child’s parent but can also be awarded to another family member, a foster parent or group home, or other organizations or institutions.
There are two main categories for child custody, legal and physical, which are then assigned as either sole or joint.
Legal custody deals more with the rights and responsibilities of a parent than where the child resides. It allocates who can decide significant issues in the child’s life, such as education, medical and healthcare decisions. Legal custody makes it necessary for the responsible parties to communicate and work to share in these decisions.
Physical custody addresses where the child will reside and for how long, and who will have the day-to-day responsibility and right to make necessary decisions regarding the child’s daily activities and well-being. When joint physical custody is awarded, the child will spend time residing with both parents or guardians. It does not mean that the time must be divided equally; rather, it might be an arrangement explicitly spelled out by the parties or based on stated guidelines and shared payment of costs for raising the child.
Your Child is of Extreme Importance to Us
Daniel Albert Law firm is willing to listen to all your grievances concerning the deserving parent for securing custody over your child. We make the best of the situation on all factors that call about the child’s circumstances and the client’s abilities. Call us at 832-930-3059 to book a consultation.