Child Custody and Visitation

Santa Monica, California, Child Custody Lawyer

Resolving child custody and visitation matters during a divorce or separation can be a very sensitive time. It is important to reach a solution that is in the best interest of the child through means that cause the least amount of disruption to the child. Our California child custody attorney, Linda S. Gross, is a Certified as a Family Law Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization and has over 25 years of legal experience. Because we focus our entire practice on family law matters, we are skilled handling these very tense situations. Contact our child visitation attorney today to discuss how we can help.

Custody Arrangements

Custody and parenting time is usually shared between parents equally unless one parent has a history of chemical dependency, child abuse, or child molestation. Child custody arrangements can be tailored around schedules of parents who travel often or work unusual hours. Special situations may give rise to monitored visitations, court-supervised custody, and court-mandated classes about co-parenting. Therefore, counsel can be useful in dealing with the difficult task of raising children when the marriage has faltered. Linda routinely handles child custody issues and strives to help create an arrangement that considers the child's or children’s well being.

Child custody arrangements can include joint legal custody, where both parents share the decision-making regarding education, non-emergency medical treatment and other designated items such as extracurricular activities. Although one parent may be awarded physical custody, joint custody still means the parents share decision-making and parenting time. Joint custody can be an equal or 50/50 parenting time arrangement, but it is not mandatory. The best parenting plan considers many factors including the ages of the children, the parents’ work schedules, the distance between homes, the location of schools, and in some cases, the preference of the child or children.

Reaching a Child Custody Agreement

It is usually in the child's best interest if the parents can work together to solve child custody issues. If the parents are able to resolve these matters outside of the courts through mediation or collaborative law methods, there is often less harm to the child. However, if there are complex issues involving chemical dependency or abuse, litigation may be the appropriate option. Our Southern California custody attorney can help you determine how to proceed with your case. In addition, we offer assistance with child support matters after custody determinations.

For experienced legal representation in a divorce, please contact our Southern California child custody lawyer today.