Child Custody Disputes: Protecting Your Rights As A Parent

Nothing is more important than time with your children. Ramsay & Ramsay, PC, located in West Chester, will help you protect your rights as a parent.

Finding The Best Solution For Your Family

When custody disputes become heated, they take a toll on the entire family — including the children. Family law attorneys Tom and Marissa Ramsay understand this. When dealing with custody matters, they don’t add fuel to the fire. Instead, they work to negotiate custody arrangements out of court. This not only reduces time, cost and stress, it also helps keep you in control.

In court, a judge or master — who has little knowledge of you and your children — decides how custody is split. When parents work together to reach custody arrangements, the results are often better for everyone involved.

However, custody issues cannot always be amicably resolved out of court. When necessary, Tom and Marissa will litigate and fight for the parenting time you deserve and need to maintain strong ties with your children.

Legal And Physical Custody

Many people don’t realize there are two types of custody: physical and legal.

Physical custody has to do with where your child lives and how much time you see him/her. Physical custody can take many forms. It can be shared, meaning each parent spends significant time with the child, or one parent may have primary or sole custody while the other has partial custody.

Legal custody is your decision-making power as a parent. Courts virtually always award shared legal custody to both parents which means that each parent has the power to make decisions regarding their child’s health related, educational and religious issues.

How Custody Is Determined?

In Pennsylvania, judges make custody determinations based on the best interests of the children. This determination involves weighing a variety of factors, including:

• The current status quo — who is caring for the child now?
• Each parent’s ability to provide a safe, loving, stable living environment
• Whether there has been any domestic violence issues, or if there are alcohol or drug dependencies
• The preferences of the child
• Sibling relationships

Schedule A Consultation

If you are involved in a custody dispute, or are going through a divorce where minor children are involved, you need the advice of an experienced family law attorney. Schedule a consultation with Ramsay & Ramsay, PC, today. Call 610-235-4000.