Your Relationship With Your Child Is Forever

If there is one message we emphasize with all of our clients, it’s that it is preferable to resolve custody issues through a voluntary agreement between the parents. Litigating any family law issue is expensive and, more importantly, emotionally taxing on parents and children. When parents work together to develop a custody and parenting plan, the outcome is generally more acceptable to both parents.

There are times when litigating is the right decision, and attorney David M. Waldrop is comfortable presenting cases in court when necessary. But.once you go to court, you have lost control of the outcome. A judge who does not know you or your child will make the decisions based on what he or she deems is in the child’s best interests.

Factors That Impact Custody Decisions

The presumption is that joint custody is best unless it can be shown that a parent is unfit to care for a child. However, many judges still default to awarding physical custody to one parent and granting standard visitation to the other. Visitation is typically two weekends each month, alternating holidays and about five weeks when school is out for summer. This is why it is critical to have quality, experienced legal counsel during any custody matters. Factors the court will take into consideration in deciding custody include:

• The child’s age, sex and health
• Each parent’s employment situation
• Each parent’s parenting skills and willingness to participate in their child’s life
• The emotional ties between the child and each parent
• The child’s adjustment to home, school and community
• The placement of siblings and the court’s interest in keeping siblings together
• Any preference expressed by a child who is 12 or older

If the child is old enough, the judge may also consider the child’s wishes. To change a custody order, the parents must agree on the change or show that circumstances have changed and a new order is warranted.

Meet With An Experienced Child Custody Lawyer In Mississippi

Preserving the relationship with a child often is the biggest concern of a parent in divorce. We take our role protecting parental rights very seriously. We invite you to call 901-410-1118 or contact us online to schedule a free 30-minute consultation in which we can answer your questions and recommend the best course of action. Your rights as a Mississippi parent are precious. Call 901-410-1118 and let us help you defend those rights during custody disputes.