Fairborn Child Custody Lawyer

In any divorce where the couple has minor children, child custody and child support are two important issues to be determined and included in the couple’s divorce settlement. A child’s custody order has a significant impact on his or her relationships with his or her parents and extended family members like aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents as well as an impact on his or her development and well being.

When the court develops a child custody order, it does its best to create the order that best suits the child’s needs. Parents can help the court with this process by complying with its requests of them and providing evidence that gives the court insight to the child’s life with them.

Components of an Ohio Child Custody Order

There are two components to an Ohio child custody order: legal custody and physical custody. Parents can hold both types jointly, one parent can hold both solely, or the court can grant the parents joint custody in one category and one parent sole custody of the child in the other.

Legal custody is the right to make important decisions on a child’s behalf. This includes the right to make choices about the child’s healthcare, deciding where the child will attend school and how the child’s academics will be handled, and whether the child will be brought up with specific cultural or religious traditions.

Physical custody is the time the child spends in each parent’s household. When parents have joint physical custody, the child spends a regular amount of time in each household. If one parent has sole physical custody of the child, the other generally has court-ordered visitation. Even when parents have joint physical custody, the home where the child spends the majority of his or her time is known as the child’s primary home.

How the Court Develops Child Custody Orders

To determine the child’s best interest, the court considers a variety of factors. These factors all provide insight to the child’s lifestyle and the family’s dynamics. They include:

• Both parent’s physical and mental health;
• The child’s personal needs;
• The child’s relationship with each parent and the other members of the parents’ households;
• Each parent’s financial ability to provide a stable home for the child;
• Any history of domestic violence in either parent’s household;
• How specific custody arrangements would impact the child’s current routine;
• Each parent’s willingness to cooperate with the court and the other parent; and
• If the child is old enough to provide a well-developed opinion about his or her custody, the child’s preference may be considered.

Work with an Experienced Fairborn Child Custody Lawyer

To learn more about child custody in Ohio, schedule your legal consultation with one of the experienced child custody lawyers at Comunale Law Office. We are here to provide you with the legal counsel and representation you need as you work through your divorce and navigate the legal challenges that arise in the years that follow.