Custody and visitation are often discussed in most divorce or separation cases. When referring to child custody it means what rights and responsibilities each specific parent has. When referring to visitation, it means how and when each parent will spend time with their children.
In California, custody and visitation rights are either decided between a mutual agreement of the parties and signed off by a judge; or, if the parties cannot agree, the judge will make the determination on the basis of what is in the best interests of the child. If you are going through custody issues, the Glendale custody visitation attorneys at Baghdaserians Law Group, Inc. can help you through these difficult times.
Under the California court system, there are two types of custody orders a judge will issue:
Legal custody is who decides on matters of importance for the child, like their education, welfare, and health issues. Physical custody is where the child resides. Legal and physical custody can be granted to either both parents—known as joint custody—or to one parent—known as sole custody.
There are circumstances where a judge will grant legal custody to a parent but will not grant them physical custody of the child. In these situations, the parent that has physical custody will also have legal custody, as well and the other parent will typically have legal custody with visitation rights.
When a parent has a child for less than half of the time, they are deemed to have visitation rights of the child. In California, visitation can be granted in four different ways:
Under a scheduled visitation order, a judge will order that the parents develop a plan to schedule their parenting time. This will help the parents a children know when each child will be with what parent to avoid conflicts and confusion.
When a judge grants a reasonable visitation, they leave the orders more open and allow the parents and children to work out what is best for all parties involved. This works best when the parents are in constant communication and can agree on what is best for the child.
When supervised visitation is granted it means that there are reasons why one of the parents should not be alone with the children or when there is not a relationship established between the parent and child.
California law states that a judge must decide custody according to what is in the “best interest of the child.” In order for a judge to decide what is in the child’s best interest, they will consider the following factors:
A court will not automatically grant custody to the mother of the father—they will always look at all circumstances and factors to determine what is best for the child.
For more information about custody and visitation rights, schedule a consultation with our Glendale custody visitation attorneys at the Baghdaserians Law Group, Inc. Our attorneys help those throughout the Los Angeles area. Call us today at 626-460-9525 for our Pasadena office or 310-299-4608 for our Beverly Hills office.
We serve clients throughout California including, but not limited to, those in the following localities: Los Angeles County including Arcadia, Baldwin Park,
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