Child Custody after Divorce.

Essay by kennyburnsideCollege, UndergraduateA+, January 2006

download word file, 7 pages 5.0 1 reviews

Downloaded 65 times

If divorce isn't stressful enough among couples, when children are involved, it adds a whole other level of stress and emotions into the mix. Parents will often loose sight of what is in the best interest of their children. Where do the children fit into this whole new life that is being created? Unfortunately children often become financial pawns in a divorce when child custody issues are being decided.

When dealing with child custody there are four different types. The first type is legal custody where the parent has the right to make decisions about the child's upbringing, the second type is physical custody where the parent has the right to have the child live with him or her, the third type being sole custody where one parent has both legal and physical custody of a child, and the fourth and last, joint custody, both parents will share legal custody, physical custody, or both.

If for any reason some circumstances arise and either parent is unable to care for the child, a grandparent or other relative may be awarded custody. The parent who is unfortunately was not awarded physical custody of their child or children may be entitled to visitation rights, which are ultimately based solely on the courts. The three types of visitation rights include: reasonable visitation which is a form of child visitation that involves reasonable times and places that are determined by both parents. Another is fixed visitation, the court orders times and places for child visitation. Finally, supervised visitation is the last which states that an adult supervisor must be present during visitation (Einstein Law Inc, 2002, para.5) Child custody laws vary by state. There are many websites on the internet where you can find out what the laws are for child custody based on the...