When a family goes through a divorce, children tend to suffer the most. Divorce is a big change, and it is sometimes difficult for a child to understand why these changes are happening and what led to their parents’ split. These questions are sometimes far beyond what a child can comprehend, making these troubled times extremely stressful on their young minds.
It is for this reason that family courts are always meant to put the well being of the children first. One of the ways that they monitor this is through parental visitation. Usually, when one parent is entering into an unstable living condition – as is often the case when one must leave the shared home after a divorce – then that parent’s new arrangements are considered unfit for children, as they add even more undue stress those children will have to face. In such a case, a court will likely award custody to the parent who is most stable, and permit the other parent some amount of visitation – periods they can spend with their children, maintaining the parental bonds without coming in to contact with their ex-spouse, and thus reducing potential for conflict.
There are a number of things to keep in mind that may have an effect on visitation and determining custody of your children, including whether or not you have a permanent address, a steady income, access to transportation, whether your lifestyle is one that is child-friendly, and so on. There is a lot to consider when considering visitation rights, but an experienced attorney can help a great deal in sorting out what you need to know and how you should prepare to adjust your lifestyle to better accommodate your children.
If you are getting divorced and have children it is important to know how to deal with custody and child support. Our Orange County attorney Amy Montes has the experience in complex custody and child support cases and will help you get the best possible results.
