What You Need to Know About Child Custody in Gilbertsville, PA

The decrease in the rate of marriages taking place in the country has definitely not affected the increase in the number of divorce cases. The process of divorce is not as easy as a couple simply deciding not to stay together anymore and having children in your marriage only complicates the issue more. Which is why it is necessary that you carefully consider your decisions regarding child custody in Gilbertsville, PA.

It is a known fact that children do go through a lot of emotional stress and trauma when the parents file for a divorce and your decisions will help the child cope through it. It is advisable that you consult a professional attorney who will be able to explain the entire process to you, helping you understand the system correctly.

There are different methods of arranging for child custody in Gilbertsville, PA, and couples should be made aware of the same.

Physical Custody

A physical custody gives one of the parents the right of living with the child while the other parent is giving the option of visiting the child for specific durations of time. However, the court also has the power to revoke the visitation rights of the other parent in the event that they put the child's emotional and physical health at risk.

Legal Custody

Although only one of the parents may have physical custody of the child, both parents may have legal custody. Legal custody gives the parent the right to make decisions regarding the child's education, their future, their healthcare and other important issues.

Joint Custody

A joint custody is an arrangement of child custody in Gilbertsville, PA, wherein the time of the child is split between both the parents. This is not only favored by most parents but is also easier for the children as they get to spend equal amount of quality time with each of the parents. At the same time, it also stresses on the trauma of not having a permanent home.

Split Custody

This type of child custody in Gilbertsville, PA, generally comes into play when the couple has more than one child. Split custody involves splitting the kids among the parents; while some children live with one parent, their siblings live with the other parent. No court wants to break up siblings and it generally tries its best to keep the family together.

There are, however, some times where the parents do not come to an agreement on the custody of the child, forcing the court to step in and make a decision. The court will keep the best interests of the child in mind and hence, take many factors into consideration, like the wishes of the child, the age and gender of the child, the religion followed and other such factors.