Souderton Child Custody Lawyers

Experienced Child Custody Lawyers in Souderton Fight to Protect Children’s and Clients’ Rights in PA

Although any issue that arises in a divorce can become a contentious issue between a divorcing couple, the issue that most often creates the greatest amount of tension and friction is the issue of child custody. It is easy to lose sight that children can get lost in the whirlwind of a divorce — this is why it is important that your children’s stability and well-being are your primary concern as you pursue a divorce.

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The Souderton child custody attorneys of Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford understand that a long, contentious child custody battle can have significant negative impacts on your children. That is why we strive to ensure that the child custody process is as smooth and efficient as possible for your entire family. Custody determinations do not favor either a mother or a father. Instead, courts tend to favor shared custody when such arrangements are in a child’s best interests.

Effective Child Custody Solutions in PA Cases

Because the court’s overriding concern in a child custody matter is the child’s best interest, each child custody arrangement is highly dependent on the specific facts of each individual case. However, the court is required to consider various statutory factors in fashioning a child custody arrangement. These factors include:

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  • Whether either parent is more likely to foster a relationship between the child and the other parent or the child’s extended family
  • Whether either parent is more likely to provide for the child’s physical, emotional, and educational development
  • The parental duties performed by each parent
  • The child’s need for stability in his or her home life, education, or community involvement
  • The availability of extended family
  • The child’s relationship with siblings
  • The child’s own preference, if the court finds the child is mature enough to communicate a reasoned preference
  • Whether either parent has a history of domestic violence or a history of attempting to turn the child against the other parent
  • Whether either parent or a member of their household has a history of drug or alcohol abuse
  • The physical and mental condition of each parent and the members of their households
  • Whether the child has any special needs and whether one parent is more capable of addressing those special needs
  • Each parent’s availability and ability to make child care arrangements
  • Each parent’s willingness to cooperate with the other on custody arrangements and child care decisions

Souderton Child Custody Attorneys Work Vigorously to Achieve Resolutions in Child Custody Cases

Custody arrangements are divided into physical custody, where the child lives, and legal custody, the right to make decisions for the child’s welfare. As stated above, courts tend to prefer shared custody arrangements. For legal custody, this means both parents must agree on decisions on issues such as education, healthcare, or religious upbringing; for physical custody, shared custody means that each parent enjoys significant periods of physical custody, although the arrangement does not necessarily have to be equal. Alternatively, in some cases, a court may award one parent sole legal custody, which means that parent has unilateral authority to make important decisions. Finally, if the court declines to award shared physical custody, it may still give one parent partial physical custody, which usually involves limited periods of custody (e.g., weekends, school holidays, etc.), or may only allow visitation, with or without third-party supervision, during which time the parent can spend time with the child but cannot take the child out of the physical custody of the other parent.

If necessary, the court will step in and determine a custody arrangement that is in your child’s best interest. However, we strive to help you resolve child custody with your child’s other parent without the need to go to court, whenever possible. Our goal is to help you work with your child’s other parent to develop a custody arrangement that is reasonable and workable with both of your circumstances and that also keeps your child’s needs as the primary consideration. We can help you at any stage of the child custody process, including:

  • Obtaining a custody order
  • Enforcing or modifying existing orders
  • Petition to relocate with children
  • Addressing grandparents’ petition for custody rights

Schedule a Free Initial Consultation with Our Child Custody Attorneys in Souderton, PA

Our Souderton child custody attorneys know that each child custody matter is different. That is why we take the time to understand each client’s concerns and goals for custody. If you have questions about your rights and options regarding child custody in Souderton, PA, contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our experienced child custody lawyers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Child Custody Matters

FAQ: Should I move out of the marital home if I still have children in the house?

If you decide to move out of the marital home during a period of separation from your spouse, you can file for a formal, temporary child custody order from the court. Obtaining a temporary custody order will allow you to protect your rights to custody of your children while you live outside the marital home, and may be important to ensure that you obtain shared custody rights in any final custody order. We do not recommend that a parent moves out of the home away from his or her children without at least a temporary custody agreement in place.

FAQ: Can my child’s other parent move out of Pennsylvania with my child?

If a parent with primary physical custody wishes to move out of Pennsylvania or even elsewhere in Pennsylvania with the children, and the proposed relocation would require an alteration to an existing custody order, Pennsylvania law requires the other parent to either consent to the relocation or requires the court to approve the relocation. The relocating parent must provide the other parent with at least 60 days notice prior to relocating, which must inform the other parent of where the relocating parent and children will live, where the children will attend school, the reasons for the relocation (such as a new job), and a proposed revised custody arrangement. The other parent then has 30 days from the date they received notice to file an objection to relocation with the court.