Child custody and visitation present some of the most emotionally trying issues in the entire arena of family law. To you, as a parent going through a divorce, nothing is more important than the ability to take part in your child's upbringing. At Kormanik & Sneed LLP, our lawyers provide personal, experienced and effective legal representation to help achieve your goals and do what's in the best interest of your children.
We do everything possible to help minimize the emotional and financial strain associated with child custody and visitation disputes. Except in cases where one parent is dangerously abusive, absent or otherwise unfit to be around the children, most divorces result in joint legal custody of the child. This means that both parents will be able to have input regarding questions over the child's upbringing, school, religion, extra-curricular activities, medical treatments and other crucial decisions.
While legal custody refers to the ability to make decisions regarding the child's upbringing, physical custody has to do with where the child will actually live. The court's determination regarding physical custody is governed by the “best interests of the child” standard. The court will determine which parent would provide the best environment for the child in order to decide which parent should receive primary physical custody. If you are seeking primary custody because you believe that is in your child's best interest, our lawyers will help you show the court why you should have primary custody of your child/children. Oftentimes, each parent believes he or she should be the primary custodian of the children. In such instances, it often makes sense for the Court to appoint a Parenting Time Evaluator to assist the Court in determining what is in the children's best interest.
We provide communicative, caring and attentive service to help clients resolve issues related to child custody and visitation agreements. If your case cannot be resolved through negotiations, we will aggressively pursue your goals in trial. In every case, our primary concern is the same as the court's—the child's best interest.
In the interests of time, money and unnecessary stress, it is always a good idea to try and reach an amicable agreement with your spouse. However, there are times when a spouse is simply too difficult to work with during a divorce. In the event divorce negotiations break down, our attorneys are readily able to protect your interests in family court. If you have questions about child custody/visitation, contact us today.