Child Custody Attorney and Decision Making

When divorces occur, it’s important to consult a child custody attorney and other professionals in order to devise a plan for the kids’ care. When a marriage ends, arrangements regarding the couples’ children must be carefully considered in order to have the best situation for everyone involved. In the olden days, there were historical periods when youngsters were traditionally raised by the father and others where they were typically raised by the mother. The configuration of the American family has changed greatly over the years and with it, custodial arrangements. Here are some things to think about:

- Divorces used to be rare: A hundred years ago, a divorce was almost unheard of. Husbands and wives stayed together till death whether they were happy or not. The men were often the bread winners and the women were the homemakers and raisers of children. Families needed every member to survive, especially those who lived on farms and needed all hands as workers. A marriage was more like a business partnership than a love relationship.

- Days when fathers were routinely awarded custody: During the pioneer and Victorian days, the male was considered to be head of household and children were considered to be his property. For this reason, the fathers usually won custody.

- Days when mothers were routinely awarded custody: During the fifties and sixties, women were the homemakers and child nurturers. It was unfathomable during this era to take youngsters away from their moms.

- Shared custody: When gender equality became the norm, parents began to share custody of their offspring. This is a healthier method for keeping kids involved with and attached to both parents. Both mothers and fathers are important to the psychological development of youngsters.

- Single parents: These days, many kids are born to single parents or couples who’ve lived together but didn’t get married. This makes custodial arrangements more complicated than in the past. Sometimes, paternity must be proven in order to give the dads rights to their offspring.

- Grandparent rights: When a marital split occurs, there are also grandparents to consider. There are times when a grandmother or grandfather will raise the child if neither parent is able to for whatever reason. This occurs more in current times due to economic hardships or parents being away at war. Even if both parents are around and sharing custody, grandparents want to retain their rights to their grandchildren and sometimes may need to engage the services of a lawyer to do so.

- Counselors and doctors: When a decision is being made regarding custody, this may become a heated emotional area. If there are disagreements over the most appropriate arrangements, sometimes professionals such as school counselors, therapists and doctors may need to be interviewed in order to gather information.

A child custody attorney will be able to legally guide clients through the process of setting up appropriate custodial arrangements for the offspring. Even though a marital relationship has ended, it’s still important for all family members to work together as a team to achieve the best situation for their kids.