How much time will I get with my child if I’m granted legal custody?

For child custody matters, they can involve a variety of arrangements between parents. Legal custody refers to the role a parent plays in their child’s life when it comes to making important decisions. These decisions can include the child’s education, health, religion and much more. However, this does not grant the parent with physical custody of the child. Physical custody refers to how much time the parent gets with the child. The custodial parent is the parent that the child lives with on a regular basis. Sometimes parents may be granted legal custody without any physical custody. Visitation rights can give a better idea of how much time you will have with your child.

What factors influence child custody arrangements?

When a judge decides on a child custody case, they make sure to take all factors into consideration. This is to protect the best interests of the child. Some factors can include the parent’s inclination to accept custody, the child’s safety, the child’s needs, any domestic abuse in the past, the distance between the parents’ homes, the relationship the child has with each parent, the preference the child has when of a sufficient age, the stability of each home life and the ability of the parent to act in the child’s best interests.

Can child custody arrangements be adjusted?

As life continues after divorce, parents can face new circumstances. This can disrupt their current child custody arrangements with their former spouse. If this becomes an issue, the spouses can file a motion to enter back into litigation to decide an adjusted plan for the child custody. Since judges can only consider the present factors when making original custody arrangements, there is room for modifications to be made in the future. Child custody can be modified depending on the situation that the child is in.

If a parent notices their child is negatively reacting to a current child custody arrangement, they may wish to get it modified. If a parent believes that the child’s interactions with their other parent are having a bad influence on the child, the situation can be acknowledged in court. The judge will always try to act in the best interests of the child. They will take into consideration the current agreement and how it has affected the child.

If you require compassionate and knowledgeable legal guidance for a matter of divorce, family or estate law, please contact the experienced attorneys at the Law Offices of Cynthia L. Hanley today. Our firm proudly serves clients in Mansfield, Massachusetts and throughout Bristol County.