When faced with divorce, you can’t help but to think about the impact it will have on your relationship with your children.
Questions regarding who gets custody and who has visitation rights are sure to immediately move to the forefront.
The court will look at several factors when deciding who gets custody of a child after a divorce. One of the first things they look at is the primary caretaker. They’ll want to learn more about who is responsible for things such as:
- Health care decisions
- Cooking meals
- Grooming and bathing
- Teaching life skills, such as reading and writing
- Planning extracurricular activities
No matter what, the court will always make a decision based on the best interests of the child. They do this with the idea of promoting the child’s development, mental and physical health, happiness, safety and security.
Here are some factors that come into play when determining a child’s best interests:
- The overall health of both parents
- Home environment provided by both parents
- Any special needs of the child
- Where the child wants to live, if they’re old enough to make an informed decision
- Evidence of alcohol or drug abuse by either parent
- Evidence of domestic violence by either parent
- Relationships with other household members
Even if the court rules that your ex will have physical custody of your child or children, you can still obtain visitation rights. This gives you the opportunity to spend a lot of time with your children, despite the fact that they aren’t living in your home.
As you prepare for your divorce, consider the steps you can take to prove to the court that you should receive physical custody. For example, provide information on how you’ve cared for any special needs of your child. Furthermore, make it clear that their future development is directly related to your ability to continue to provide this care.
There are a lot of questions associated with child custody and visitation. As you move toward the divorce process, learn more about your legal rights and the steps you can take to protect them.
Visit our website for more information on child custody, visitation and related family law matters.