California child custody issues can be a difficult issue to navigate, not just for the parents of a child, but also any person who believes he or she should have visitation rights with a child. Naturally, the child’s best interests are paramount, but there is often a disagreement as to what exactly that entails. This can spark parents into engaging in a child custody dispute. When there is any disagreement large or small when it comes to child custody and visitation rights, a mistake that people commonly make is that they fail to have legal assistance to handle the issue. This can result in bigger problems and severe damage to their relationship with their child.
There are some child custody cases in which the issues are minor and the parents can resolve them relatively amicably, despite no longer being together as a couple. They will discuss the issues, have the capacity for flexibility and will take the child into account when coming to a resolution. Mediation can be useful in such a case. Other cases involve parents who might not be amicable, but are interested in the child’s best interests and can agree to disagree with assistance in settling the matter for all involved. Then there are cases in which the parents both want custody and might not even want the other parent to have visitation. These situations can be more complex and often need to go to court to be settled. In any of these circumstances, it is critical to have legal assistance.
Raising a child is a substantial responsibility — something that the parents will understand and address in their child custody case. Such factors as the living arrangements, when the child will spend time with the noncustodial parent, how holidays will be allocated and much more will come to the forefront. Whether it is a case in which there is joint custody, issues enforcing a child custody order, or a parent who has no custody or visitation rights, having a lawyer can be key to settling the case.
For parents who are ending their relationship and are determining how child custody will be handled, it is imperative for people from each perspective to have legal help. A lawyer who is has experience in a wide variety of child custody situations can assist clients with these issues.