One of the most distressing things that can happen during a divorce case is when your ex threatens to take away your children. The most vicious divorce battles tend to occur when not only money is at stake, but also the parents’ relationships with their children. The good news is that child custody is not a zero-sum game; both parents get custody of the children. A parenting plan does not award the children to just one parent. Rather, the parenting plan indicates which parent gets the children on which days of the year; some families split the parenting time equally between the parents. The Fort Worthchild custody lawyers at the Law Office of Kyle Whitaker can help you formalize a parenting plan that promotes a stable relationship between you and your children.

How the Courts Determine the Child’s Best Interest

Some couples agree on a parenting plan on their own, and then the judge signs off on it; for some families, it is an obvious choice where the children should live during the school week because of the parents’ work schedules, living arrangements with stepfamilies, or some other factor. If the parents cannot reach an agreement, then the court decides. When this happens, the only thing that matters is the child’s best interest. Courts consider the following factors in determining the child’s best interest:

• Which parent has been the children’s primary caregiver thus far
• Each parent’s ability to provide adequate supervision, discipline, and medical care for the children
• Whether either parent has a history of physically or emotionally abusing the children
• The child’s age and medical and educational needs
• The extended family support available when the child is with each parent
• The extent to which each parent encourages the child’s relationship with the other parent
• The child’s preference (for teens above the age of 12)

In other words, the courts prioritize the children’s safety and stability.

Gender is Not a Factor in Child Custody Decisions

Courts consider many things in determining the child’s best interest, but the parent’s gender is not one of them. The courts assume, unless there is strong evidence to the contrary, that it is in the child’s best interest for both parents to have ample unsupervised parenting time. The court does not always award primary custody of babies to Mom, nor does it always award primary custody of teen boys to Dad. Do not assume that just because you are a man, or just because you are the mother of a teenage son, the court will assume that your ex-spouse deserves more parenting time than you do. If the court has shortchanged you on parenting time, your family law attorney can help you petition the court to modify your parenting plan.

Contact the Law Office of Kyle Whitaker About Child Custody Disputes

If your ex-spouse or the judge in your divorce case is using your gender against you, you need a family law attorney. Contact the Law Office of Kyle Whitaker in Fort Worth, Texas, to discuss your case.

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Child custody lawyers are actually family law practitioners whose expertise includes helping their clients handle legal custody of their children. Many cases involving children involve divorces and when parents are getting a divorce, they might be going to a courtroom and requesting custody of the children involved. Often a judge will make the final decision on the custody of the children based on what is best for the children in question. The child custody lawyer is an attorney that can help you determine the best custody situation for your children.

There are two different ways a child custody lawyer can help you with your case. First, he or she can represent you in court and represent your case to the judge. They are also able to represent you on the court hearings if you so choose. If you don’t wish to hire a lawyer, you can hire one yourself. Many attorneys do not charge a fee for handling your case; however, some will charge a retainer fee.

Child custody lawyers work in a wide variety of settings. For example, if you’re trying to get visitation rights to your child or children, most of them work in family courts. The lawyers in custody support the parent seeking to gain custody of the children involved.

Child Custody Lawyer Near Me – Choosing the Right One

Your best bet is to seek out the services of a child custody lawyer near me. While there are some very good lawyers in my state, the majority of them I’ve dealt with were less than helpful. The lawyers in custody are often represented by firms that do not have a good reputation of providing solid representation. You can avoid this by hiring a firm that has been in the field a while, and one that has been doing things the right way for the past number of years.

• When you do hire a custody lawyer, be sure to ask several questions about the legal process. These questions can include things like: What are the laws in your state regarding children? How long does it take for the court to make its decisions regarding custody? How long can you ask for your visitation time?
• Also, be sure to inquire as to the lawyer’s ability to make things happen in a timely manner. An attorney who has been practicing for a very long time is more likely to be able to handle a case on time, in a timely fashion, than one who’s just starting out. The time frame of the case is very important when dealing with family courts.
• Finally, ask if your lawyer charges any retainer fees. You should also find out how much they charge for a consultation, because these fees can change from one attorney to the next. Fees vary depending on the lawyer’s ability to handle the case, whether you’re seeking sole custody or joint custody. Also be sure to find out how many hours the attorney will work with you.
• If you are going to hire an attorney, then you should consider asking if they provide any other type of assistance with your child custody. Some child custody lawyers offer counseling services and educational advice. Some of these child custody lawyers also offer legal advice for free. Others even offer parenting classes.
• If you are seeking help with a custody situation with your children, then you will want to find out if your child custody lawyer offers these types of services. While some do offer free counseling, most charge you a monthly fee. You will be expected to pay for any other services offered by the attorney. This can be a lot of money in today’s economy, so you may want to consider hiring someone who is a little bit cheaper.
• Once you have decided who you would like to work with, then it’s time to start your search for a lawyer. In order to find the best child custody lawyer near me, you will want to make sure you get their contact information. as well as their fees. After all, the lawyer you choose will be representing you in court, so it’s important that you find one that will be worth your time and effort.

You’ll want to find out as much as you can about your lawyer before you hire them. Find out how long they have been practicing, what kind of cases they handle and what their success rate is. Also find out if they are licensed to practice in your state, and what kind of experience they have. Don’t forget to ask them about their references, because these can help you find out how a certain lawyer has handled similar cases in the past. Finding a good lawyer can be difficult, but once you’ve found one, you’ll be glad you did.

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Some law firms elect to practice in limited regions of law while some, such as the one I work in, practice in a number of regions of law.

There are advantages and drawbacks to each law firm model; however, I prefer working in general practice companies since they supply diversity every day.

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