If you are going through a Divorce and have children, one of the hardest fought, emotional, and high stakes part of the divorce will be deciding which parent will gain custody of the children. To ensure you get what is best for your child, it is crucial that you find an experienced child Custody Attorney in Paulding County.
Even if you think you don’t need an attorney because things are proceeding amicably, you should still consider hiring one. A lawyer does not necessarily mean a battle, though you should look for someone who is prepared to fight if necessary, but can assist in keeping things amicable. A lawyer can be a neutral presence during discussions that can prevent perceived slights or personal attacks from quickly derailing the entire process and causing a costly legal battle where none is really necessary. Either on their own or by suggesting the parties enter mediation and guiding you through the process, the lawyer can help remind both sides that the ultimate goal is to find what’s best for the child and to put any other differences to the side.
Child custody determinations involve many decisions and it is best to have an experienced attorney to guide you through the way. Child custody is not just limited to who the child will live with. It also involves what say parents will get in important life decisions such as medical emergencies, education, and religion. Whether the non-custodial parent will receive visitation rights, how often, and for how long must also be considered. The rights the parents have to travel with the child will also have to be decided and the custodial parent will probably need some form of child support to allow them to provide for the child now that they only have a single income.
In many cases, the divorce is somewhat amicable and both parents largely agree on what is best for the child. In that situation, the attorney’s role is to guide them through the process and to use his experience to point out points of possible future conflict and to help the parties to work to avoid them. Occasionally, it is clear that the actions of one parent were so severe that contact with the child should be limited or eliminated altogether. In that case, your attorney must be prepared to handle a prolonged fight in court to protect your child’s rights.
