Alpharetta Child Custody Lawyer

When couples divorce, they must make many important decisions and resolve critical matters. Few issues may bear greater significance than the subject of child custody.

If you live in Alpharetta or the city’s neighboring suburbs and are concerned about the custody of your child/children, a child custody lawyer can provide valuable advice. An attorney who understands the highly personal nature of these concerns can answer your questions and address your concerns.

Why Contact an Attorney?

Child custody may become an emotional, if not contentious issue between parting spouses. The prospect of no longer living with child/children or potentially losing the close-knit relationship a parent has with their offspring may lead to certain parents making snap, emotionally-charged actions that could prove detrimental to all concerned parties.

An Alpharetta child custody attorney can help parents avoid that pitfall by reviewing the case and helping them formulate rational, unemotional strategies designed to increase the chances of finding the best arrangement possible for families. One way a lawyer can help accomplish this task is by highlighting why a parent should remain an integral part of their child/children’s life.

How Child Custody is Determined

In accordance with Georgia Law Statutes, a court may award sole custody to one former spouse or joint custody to both ex-partners. In addition, custody can be categorized as physical custody, which refers to where the child lives, and legal custody, which enables parents to render important life decisions pertaining to the minors in question such as decisions regarding education, medical issues, the religious faith the children will be raised in, and travel.

Moreover, minor children 14-years-of-age and older may have the liberty to choose which parent they would like to live with. However, a court may decide against the child’s wishes if the legal body determines that awarding the other parent custody would be in line with the child/children’s best interests.

Factors that May Impact these Decisions

In addition to a child’s personal views, a court may consider several other factors including:

The age of the children in question
Which parent is the better choice to provide basic primary care
Each parent’s criminal record
The mental health of both parents
Drug or alcohol abuse by either parent
Each spouse’s financial and employment stability
The home environment provided by each parent

A person’s individual circumstances may bring additional factors into consideration. An Alpharetta child custody lawyer can help determine whether other issues may be worthy of debate.

Resolving Child Custody Issues in Alpharetta

Sometimes, spouses draft pre and postnuptial contracts before or after they are officially married. These legally-binding documents enable spouses to set forth guidelines regarding how specific aspects of their divorce should occur. Certain contracts may contain parenting plans, which could offer recommendations as to how to handle specific child-related issues such as:

The type of schooling the child/children should receive
Which parent will provide certain necessities such as medical care
The financial responsibilities each parent will have as their child/children age
How visitation rights will be governed for the parent not awarded physical custody

It is important to note, however, that while parenting plans may be a useful guide and offer a valuable tool in preventing spousal conflict in child custody issues, such blueprints may not always be the final say. A Georgia Family Court may determine all final child custody decisions and do so with the child/children’s best interests at heart.

Consult with a Child Custody Attorney Today

There are many important issues parting spouses must resolve. That said, child custody may be one of the most critical. The decisions may have a significant impact upon both the former spouses and their child/children’s lives.