There is nothing that is more painful than losing the custody of your child after a stressful divorce. If you have just come out of a long custody battle and lost, it is normal to feel disillusioned, which is why many people don’t pause to think about other alternatives that there could be to the process. Learning about the other alternatives that there are, besides the full custody, could help you get an arrangement where you get to see your child often. But, first, you need to consult a child custody attorney in Bainbridge Island WA.
Joint Physical custody
This is an arrangement whereby both parents have a right to have the child with them. The arrangement works well when the parents live close to each other as this allows the kids to have a somewhat normal routine. The parents will have to organize the days when they each get to keep the child. There is an arrangement where the child primarily lives with one parent (the custodial parent), and the other parent is given the right to visit and spend time with the child. This is an arrangement that can be worked out in cases where both spouses have expressed a strong need to be in the lives of their children.
Legal custody
Having legal custody means that the court has given you the right to make decisions about the upbringing of the child. Many states award joint legal custody to both parents, an arrangement whereby both parents can make decisions regarding:
- The child’s schooling
- Medical decisions
- Religious upbringing
In case your ex and you are sharing joint custody, and they start making decisions about the child’s future without seeking your opinion, you have a right to get a Child Custody Attorney, take them back to court, and ask the judge to enforce the custody agreement.
These are just a few other options that you have besides getting sole custody of a child. It is always good to try and end a marriage in an amicable way for the sake of the children. You can also talk to them about adoptions, divorce, and paternity issues.
