Custody

It is the public policy of the State of California that, as a general rule, children should have “frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents have separated or dissolved their marriage, or ended their relationship, and to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of child rearing in order to effect this policy, except where the contact would not be in the best interest of the child….” (California Family Code § 3020(b).) What this means, in practical terms, is that California has a preference for joint parenting arrangements.

How to effectively share custody, in the best interest of your children, can be a difficult problem to solve – especially if you and your child’s other parent are having difficulty communicating. And, of course there are some cases where shared custody is not in a child’s best interest. The attorneys at The Wald Law Group will take the time to understand your family dynamics and help you assess what type of custody arrangement will be best for your children.

Parentage and Custody Disputes

At The Wald Law Group, we are committed to addressing custody disputes with an eye toward helping our clients and their co-parents attain a structure for their parenting that minimizes the likelihood of future legal battles, and with the children’s best interests always given the highest priority. We work closely with therapists and child development professionals to assure that our clients are getting the best advice and support possible. With extensive experience addressing both simple and complex parentage and custody disputes, we are glad to assist in making sure that you and your children are getting the best legal assistance possible.

Physical versus Legal Custody

Child custody is divided into two main categories: legal and physical custody. Legal custody gives a parent the right and responsibility to make decisions for a child regarding such primary issues as healthcare and education.  Physical custody determines where the child lives. Both legal and physical custody can be held by one parent (commonly referred to as “sole” custody) or be held jointly by two or more parents; and the considerations for determining the best legal custody arrangement may be quite different from those impacting the best physical custody arrangement. Custody arrangements are flexible and varied. Some parents see their children only on holidays, whereas others split time equally with the other parent.  Some parents need to divide up decision-making rather than sharing it.  Because every family is different, at The Wald Law Group we will work with you as an individual, to figure out what form of custody is in the best interest of both you and your child.

Parenting Coordination

With over 20 years experience in child-centered family law, Deborah H. Wald is glad to offer Parenting Coordination services. These services provide an opportunity for families struggling with more difficult custody issues to receive prompt and focused attention they need from an experienced attorney who is appointed by the court to act as the custody judge and make decisions in the best interests of the child/children.  For parents experiencing ongoing conflict, quick access to a child custody professional who understands the specific dynamics of your family and has the authority to make timely decisions can save everyone a great deal of time and stress, and lead to better outcomes for the child/children.