While most divorces share some commonalities, each one is unique, especially to the people involved. This is especially true for the children involved, as many are young and cannot comprehend the reasons their parents would call it quits and separate. Coping with the feelings and trauma of a divorce is challenging, as is deciding on the best child custody arrangement for the children that will put their best interests first. Vonnah Bagner, a leading family attorney in the East Bay area, discusses some of the most common types of child custody.

Sole Physical Custody

In some divorces, one parent is not fit to raise the children, whether they are abusive, absent, coping with a debilitating disease, struggling with addiction, or are flat out uninterested. This is very challenging for children of any age to handle, but it becomes the responsibility of the responsible, present parent to fight for sole physical custody and keep their children away from a living situation that will ultimately damage them more.

Joint Physical Custody

Luckily, in many other situations, both parents love their children and wish to remain present and involved as much as possible. For these scenarios, joint physical custody allows both parents to have a predetermined amount of time with the children before “trading” again. Often, parents who have joint physical custody live close to one another so a child can remain enrolled in the same school as they were prior to the divorce, but this is not expressly true in all situations.

Legal Custody

Legal custody, unlike physical custody, grants a parent rights to make decisions regarding the child’s health, welfare, education, and other major decisions that involve them. A parent who enjoys legal custody may not have physical custody, but still gets a say in the child’s life until they turn eighteen. A parent with legal custody may visit their child, take them out to eat, pick them up from school, and otherwise spend quality time, but they may not also have physical custody.

The Child Comes First

When determining what child custody arrangement might work best for you and your children, there are many factors that weigh into things, including the living arrangement of you and your soon-to-be former spouse, your financial situation, and how great of an impact the change in environment will be on the children. Consider these factors during negotiation and mediation, as a judge will most certainly examine the situation thoroughly if the decision is left to them during a court hearing.

Bagner Law, PC

Having excellent representation during proceedings is the best way to make sure you are awarded the child custody that is best for your children. Hiring a qualified professional like Vonnah Bagner of Bagner Law, PC is the first step towards guaranteeing this outcome. Find out more now. Call today!