After making the decision to get a divorce, settling child custody arrangements can be one of the most difficult aspects for parents. Whatever you decide will impact both you and your children for years to come.
Because of the gravity of this decision, it is important to be as well-informed as possible. Your children deserve the best and what works for one family may not work for yours. So what child custody plans are offered in New York? There are different variations between legal, physical, joint, and sole custody. The ultimate goal is to act in the best interests of the child.
Joint physical custody
This custody plan remains one of the most popular amongst parents and children. The children spend equal or close to equal amounts of time with both parents, usually varying every other week in either parent's house. Parents are allowed to make their own joint custody schedule if they can work together.
Joint legal custody
Legal custody refers to the decision making aspects of a child's life, including religion, education, and medical choices. Under this plan, both parents make these decisions for the child together.
Sole physical custody
The court always acts in the child's best interests and sometimes, having to alternate between both parent's homes does more harm than good. Sole physical custody means that the child lives permanently with one parent and the other parent is given periods of visitation time.
Sole legal custody
Sole legal custody, or the right for one parent to make all decisions for the child, is usually reserved for situations when parents cannot get along or one parent has a criminal or abusive background. The other parent is now allowed to have a say in the decisions.
Temporary custody
Unfortunately, custody arrangements aren't always as cut-and-dried as depicted here. Sometimes coming to a favorable decision can take an extended amount of time and makes a temporary custody plan necessary. The court makes temporary arrangements for the child until the custody plan is finalized.
At the Law Offices of Donald Mastrodomenico, P.C., we understand how overwhelming this process can be. We're here to make things run as seamlessly as possible, all while fighting for the most positive outcome.
Call our child custody attorney in Queens today to schedule your free consultation!