How To Get Full Custody Of Your Children
While you are filing for a divorce, one of the most important aspects to discuss is the custody of your children. This decision will influence your children’s lives more than any other regarding your divorce from your significant other. This matter demands intensive reflection before settling on whether to establish full or joint custody. You must provide the best possible future for your children.
There are multiple variations of child custody and they are all determined by the court during a custody suit. The court system favors keeping both parents in the lives of the children, but that is not always the case. There are times when the court determines it is in the best interest of the children to remain in full custody of one parent. In extreme cases, courts decide that the children’s futures are better off without either parent.
How to File for Child Custody
Filing for child custody differs depending on the state that you live in. The best way to gain information about child custody is by going to the state court’s office and seeking out the assistance of a court clerk. You will be required to fill out numerous forms, giving the courts the necessary information to determine whether the case will be brought forward in court. Be prepared to pay a filing fee as well, this exact amount will be disclosed by the court clerk.
Filing for child custody cannot be done without the knowledge of the other parent. They will need to be included within the process. You cannot personally give the other parent their necessary paperwork, it must be done by someone else unaffiliated with the case. Once all the paperwork is in order, the clerk will proceed with scheduling the child custody hearing.
What is Joint Custody?
Whenever both parents are granted custody over their children, it is called joint custody. There are two different versions of joint custody, known as joint physical custody and joint legal custody. Joint physical custody is the most sought after by the court system because it includes both parents in the life of the child.
A schedule can be determined by the pleas of the parents and the deliberation of the courts. These will manage how long each parent can be in contact with their children based on the information presented during the suit. It is entirely possible for both parents to create a less stringent agreement that will not involve schedules if they are able to show it is in the best interests of the children.
Full custody doesn’t always mean that one parent is entirely unfit to care for their children and joint custody does not always ensure equal time spent with children. The courts will ultimately base their decisions on whatever is the most beneficial for the children. Do everything you can to ensure the highest quality of life possible for your children and the courts will be more sympathetic to granting you their custody. In the end, what’s best for the children is what matters most.