The Importance of Getting A Child Custody Attorney

Custody of children can be one of the most important issues in a divorce. A good Child Custody attorney can help you through this difficult time and protect your rights. Having an attorney can make the process much easier and less stressful for everyone involved. Whether you are trying to get custody of your child or just figuring out visitation schedules, an attorney can help.

If parents can reach a mutual agreement on custody and a parenting plan, they can avoid going to court. This can save both parties a lot of time and money. An experienced Knoxville Family Law attorney can assist you in reaching a compromise that is in the best interest of your child. During a child custody trial, the court will strive to make a decision in “the best interests of the child.” It is not always easy to determine what this means. The judge will consider the wishes of the child, how well each parent cares for the child, the relationship of each parent to the child and other persons who may substantially impact the child, the stability of the home and school environment, the mental and physical health of each parent, the child’s ties to the community, and more.

The law states that it is in a child’s best interests to have both parents as part of their life. The judge will try to come up with a custody arrangement that allows both parents to do this. However, that does not necessarily mean equal time. For example, an hour cheering your child on at their baseball game is worth more than countless hours watching them play video games in their room.

During a trial, the judge will also look at past history with each parent, any abuse or neglect allegations, and other factors that affect a child’s well-being. A forensic expert, which can be a psychologist or social worker, will usually be appointed to interview the children and the parents. They will prepare a report and provide testimony to help the court decide on a custody and visitation order.

A Child Custody attorney can help you with issues such as determining legal custody, physical custody, joint custody, and bird’s nest custody. They can also help with visitation schedules and modifying existing custody and visitation orders. They can also guide you through issues related to child support, including requesting and enforcing a support order.

Easter & DeVore Attorneys at Law serves Knoxville clients in cases involving family law and child custody. The firm assists parents with issues like requesting and enforcing child support and establishing custody and visitation arrangements. Its attorneys also offer mediation, a way for couples to resolve disputes without a lawsuit.

When a couple is fighting over custody, they can be required to attend a parenting class or mediation session. This can be a great opportunity to discuss how they would like to raise their child. During the sessions, they will each present their arguments to the other party in hopes of reaching an agreement. In the event that they are unable to agree, the judge will make the final decisions.