It’s a reality that sometimes in life, parents are unable to raise their children together. Regardless of the situation, parents need to work together to ensure the well-being of the child.

One major decision that has to be made when parents end their relationship is child custody. Who will be the primary custodial parent? Will one person have full child custody, or will the parents share joint custody?

In the perfect world, parents will agree on what’s best for the child. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When disagreement occurs, legal intervention is required.

Learn more about the child custody decisions you’ll need to make when parents can’t come to terms.

Hire a Child Custody Attorney

Hiring a child custody attorney is a good idea whether the parents agree about custody issues or not. Although not always required for custody matters, child custody attorneys are invaluable when tough questions arise.

In situations where there is a disagreement, you want to hire a seasoned family law attorney. Child custody battles can turn negative and get drawn out. The courts will need to assign temporary custody until an agreement is worked out.

Research Parental Rights for Your State

Each state has child custody laws. Before pursuing a custody agreement, do your research to ensure you understand the requirements for the state the child resides in.

Custody of children is a serious matter, and courts can enter an injunction if the child is taken out of the city or state without permission. There are also laws governing removing children from schools or denying visitation.

You don’t want to hinder your chances of getting custody because you were unaware of the laws for your state.

Determine Visitation

Visitation is an integral part of child custody cases. The custodial parent has to work with the other parents to ensure they can see the child and spend time regularly.

Barring neglect or other legal reasons the non-custodial parent can’t have custody, the courts will always promote visitation for the parent.

Request Child Maintenance Support

Child support is as important as child custody. The non-custodial parent will be required to provide financial support.

Attend Mediation or Co-parenting Sessions

If you have tried to work out a custody agreement with the absent parent and nothing is working, mediation may be ordered by the courts. This is a mandated action in which a third party intervenes in a child custody case.

Co-parenting counseling is something parents can agree on outside of a court order. This is always seen as a positive when parents are willing to work together.

Remember to Always Put the Child First

In a child custody case, it is important to always put the child first. Both parents should do what is best for the child to maintain a healthy relationship with both parents.

If you need more information on family law matters, check back with us. We update our content often.