In many child custody cases, divorcing parents agree to a joint custody arrangement, allowing both parents to stay involved in their child’s upbringing. There is a lot that goes into a joint custody arrangement, including deciding on what is best for a child (medical care, education, daily needs, etc.) and what days a child lives with each parent. However, a parent sometimes needs to fight for their custody rights if their child’s other parent is filing for sole custody.
Sole custody can greatly limit a parent’s legal rights and time spent with their child. For that reason, it is generally not favored by the courts unless there are significant concerns about the affected parent’s ability to care for their child properly and keep that child safe. Here are some basics you should know:
Understand the terms of sole custody
Sole custody means that one parent has both legal and physical custody of their child. The custodian would decide how their child is raised. A child would also most likely live with the custodial parent full time. Sole custody is typically given to one parent when it is believed that the other parent is unfit to raise their child.
The noncustodial parent who does not granted custody rights over their child may have very few options to stay involved in their child’s life. This parent may be given some limited visitation days. However, they could not decide, for example, where their child goes to school or how often they see a doctor. Losing custody of a child can lead to many hardships for a noncustodial parent and make it difficult to develop an emotional bond with their child.
Whether you are seeking sole custody or your co-parent is seeking to obtain sole custody, legal guidance is essential. There’s too much at stake not to have experienced assistance on your side.