When children are involved, understanding Divorce Family Law in Easton PA becomes particularly important. You need to know what you should expect if you were to end up fighting for child custody, visitation rights, or child support. You definitely should hire a lawyer to help make sure your children’s well-being is at the center of any decisions made.
Many family courts follow somewhat of a standard to focus on the best interests of the child when deciding custody. Divorce Family Law Easton PA follows specific factors including, but not limited to: the child’s age, gender, and health, the parent’s health, the parent’s lifestyle, the parent’s ability to provide, the bond between parent and child, and the child’s preference when old enough to decide. Other factors are taken into consideration as well, but these tend to be the ones considered more important.
In situations when the factors do not clearly favor one parent, many courts award custody to the parent who can provide a stable environment and is more likely to allow the child to have a healthy relationship with the other parent. Younger children may be awarded to the primary caregiver, and older children may be awarded to the parent who will be most likely to be able to provide continuing education and stability.
In the past, many states favored the mother in custody battles, even if the father would have been a better caregiver for the child. That is no longer the case. No state requires the mother be given custody of the children automatically. In situations where both parents work full time, the parents are probably equally likely to win custody. They may share custody if conditions are favorable. The parent with a more flexible schedule may even have an advantage. If you feel like you should be awarded primary custody, then you should ask for it. You may or may not be able to convince a judge it is best for the kids, but you should give it your best effort. If you aren’t awarded custody, the fact that you tried to get custody may help you with your visitation rights.
