When it comes to custody of your children as the result of divorce or a parentage action, the stakes could not be higher. Your future and your children's future will depend on a court order.
At Brandon Law Group, we handle creation and modification of child custody orders. Attorney Lisa Brandon is certified in family law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. She has the experience and legal knowledge to help you set achievable goals and reach them.
Our law office is in Seal Beach, California, and we handle child custody and visitation cases (also known as time-sharing) throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. Call 562-901-9800 for a free half-hour consultation with attorney Lisa Brandon.
Legal Custody And Physical Custody
California recognizes two types of child custody:
- Legal custody, which concerns decision-making for important matters such as education, medical care, religious upbringing of your children. Joint legal custody is the norm in California.
- Physical custody, which is where your child will live and who will make day-to-day decisions for each child. Physical custody also addresses parenting schedules for children. There are many options available to families with children when a divorce or legal separation results in parents living separate and apart. While California courts are becoming very progressive in their views about parenting, if there are compelling reasons why one parent should have sole physical custody, such as abuse or domestic violence. Or if a parent has limited time available to parent the children, because of their employment where they have chosen to live, the courts will most definitely consider any plan which shares custody of minor children in a manner which assures the children's best interests are being protected. Most child custody disputes revolve around how much time a child will spend with each parent.
Increasingly, judges in Orange and Los Angeles counties are willing to allow joint physical custody plans that let kids have two homes and spend equal time with both parents. Making joint child custody work requires concessions by both parents, such as living close to each other and achieving a work-life balance. It also requires a significant degree of mutual respect and similar parenting philosophies.
There are many ways to resolve child custody disputes, including negotiation, mediation and litigation. Los Angeles and Orange counties each use different types of evaluations and investigations to determine what is in a child's best interests. A child's best interests are what determine child custody in California — not what the parents want.
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For More Information About Child Custody And Parenting
We offer a free, 30-minute lawyer consultation to discuss child custody and time-sharing issues. Call 562-901-9800 or complete our simple contact form.