Nothing is more important to a parent than their child. If you are dealing with a child custody or visitation dispute, or your parental rights are in jeopardy, you need assistance from a knowledgeable Manassas child custody lawyer who can protect the rights of you and your child.
An experienced family attorney can gather the evidence relevant to your case and help you to obtain a successful result.
Custody or Visitation
When determining child custody, the court will always consider the best interests of the child. Time-sharing, parenting plans, and shared parental responsibilities are terms that are commonly used by courts to ensure that the custody arrangement does not alienate one parent in favor of the other. This is born out of a belief that well-adjusted children have relationships with both parents. Accordingly, ensuring that both parents have access to the child or children to continue to develop that relationship is in the best interest of the child or children.
An experienced child custody lawyer in Manassas knows that spending more time working on a parenting agreement and anticipating likely life changes will be most beneficial to the child and, likely, the family overall. It will also decrease the likelihood that the parents will have to return to court for a modification later.
No matter whether the case begins as a divorce or paternity case, it is important to work with a legal professional who is unafraid to try differing approaches to get their client the best outcome for their family. Even a solid custody agreement, which anticipated likely life changes, may require modification as the child gets older. Child custody arrangements are not final decisions; they can be altered when there is a change in circumstance that necessitates the issue being revisited.
Custody Modification
It may be necessary to modify the original child custody agreement or nullify it in its entirety in consideration of a child’s needs or a parent’s circumstances. When this type of change is needed, it is necessary to work with a skilled Manassas child custody attorney who can petition the court with the strongest position to modify the original child custody arrangement.
Child custody and visitation disputes can arise from a multitude of situations, including when one parent changes their home base, one parent files for divorce, and/or when a child’s schedule and activities change. In some cases, the issue may have resurfaced following a post-divorce visitation dispute, a post-divorce relocation dispute, allegations that one parent is encouraging alienation of the other parent, or there is an out-of-state relocation.
Modification of a child custody agreement can result in a change in the custodial parent, one parent choosing between losing primary custody and a new job, how often the non-custodial parent has access to the child or children, and how much authority each parent would have in making major decisions about the child. As such, it is a serious matter that can be emotionally draining and may possibly reopen proverbial emotional wounds.
Trial Process
Child custody disputes do not require a trial, but in some cases, especially following a contentious divorce or after serious allegations are levied by one parent against the other, the parties may not be able to resolve child custody disputes without a trial.
If an individual is required to go to trial with a child custody dispute, their access to their child may be placed in jeopardy.
Contacting a Manassas Child Custody Attorney
The quality of the Manassas child custody lawyer that a parent chooses in their case may significantly impact the final outcome of the case.
Thus, an experienced attorney with a successful track record of representing families during such difficult times is essential. Call today.
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