For soon-to-be-divorced parents in Utah, it’s important to sort issues and ensure that the divorce has the least possible impact on their parents. Divorces are inherently hard to process, and the legal aspects often complicate human relationships. As a parent, your immediate concern should be about protecting your child and reducing the consequences for them. If you and your spouse don’t agree on key things, an experienced Sandy child custody attorney can help. For your help, here is an overview of the critical pointers related to the matter.
Legal vs. physical custody
A minor child will live with a parent who has physical custody. In short, physical custody determines where the child sleeps. Legal custody, however, allows one or both parents to make decisions concerning the child’s care, education, religion, and so on. It is possible that both parents share legal and physical custody of the child, and in that case, the child will live with each parent for 111 days each year.
Joint vs. sole custody
As the name indicates, joint custody allows both parents to stay involved in caring for the child. If both parents share joint legal custody of the kids, they will decide on key things together. In general, when it comes to legal custody, courts usually allow both parents to share the same unless there is sufficient reason to stop one parent from being involved. For instance, if your spouse has a history of drug abuse or domestic violence, you could get both legal and physical custody of the child.
Hiring an attorney is wise
Because child custody matters are often challenging and hard to resolve, you should consider hiring an attorney for your case. Lawyers know what it takes to minimize friction and can help sort issues without relying on the court alone. Not all family lawyers specialize in child custody matters, and therefore, experience is one of the most relevant factors to consider.
Keep your child’s needs on your priority list
Before you start the child custody battle with your spouse, consider if your decisions are likely to impact your child adversely. Sometimes, it can be hard to think straight, simply because you don’t know better. This is also one of the reasons why hiring an attorney is a good idea, as they can guide you on your rights and offer objectivity before you make decisions.
Call a child custody lawyer now and get your questions answered.