How Does the Court Determine Child Custody?

In the area of family law and divorce, child custody is one of the most difficult and emotional issues. While some parents reach a mutually acceptable agreement on their own, other situations are more contentious and wind up being settled in a courtroom. If you are in need of a lawyer to help guide you through this process, turn to the Law Firm and Mediation Practice of Alla Roytberg.

Safety of Child
In any custody situation, the hope is that the court will work to place the child in an environment where there will be no abuse or neglect. If one parent has been guilty of this, they may have custody taken away and instead be given visitation rights and sometimes only supervised visitation. When you go to court to resolve custody, you are putting your trust in the judge, the child’s attorney, who will be assigned to represent your child and court appointed experts, who are often psychologists, social workers and forensic evaluators.  All of these people are complete strangers to the child, to the mother, to the father and to the family. Their evaluation and their decision with respect to the child’s best interests is often informed by their own views, based on their personal lives and may not conform with your view of what is best for your child.  The best way to resolve custody is through mediation and negotiation.  Even if the parents are angry at each other and disagree on most things, mediation and negotiation are better options than forcing your child to be traumatized by the court process as she endures a barrage of unfamiliar professionals, who speak with her and make decisions about her life.  


If you want to do everything possible to reach a satisfactory agreement on child custody, contact the Law Firm and Mediation Practice of Alla Roytberg for a consultation.