Columbus Child Custody Lawyer

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Are you seeking for a child custody lawyer in Columbus, Ohio? Our experienced and compassionate Columbus child custody attorneys can discuss your legal options during a confidential consultation, working with you every step of the way. Contact our Atkins And Atkins, Attorneys At Law, LLC lawyers today at (614) 485-8248, to learn more.

Child custody is one of the most important and hotly contested issues. Decisions related to your child’s upbringing, health, and education, as well as your time and relationship with them, hang in the balance. Your decisions and actions today can affect your and your child’s futures for years to come. It’s essential that you have a legal advocate in your corner who can help you navigate the complex legal process ahead. Get started today, contact us for a free consultation.

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How Can a Child Custody Lawyer from Atkins And Atkins, Attorneys At Law, LLC Help Me?

Having a legal matter related to your relationship with your child can be intimidating. You likely had different plans for the future. Having an experienced attorney who can provide an objective point of view can help you during this pivotal time in your life.

An experienced Columbus family law attorney at Atkins And Atkins, Attorneys At Law, LLC can help with every aspect of your case, including:

Discussing the situation with you to identify your concerns and hopes for a successful resolution
Explain your legal rights and Ohio’s child custody laws during a confidential consultation
Filing appropriate legal petitions and motions to move toward your desired outcome
Conducting discovery to help support your position
Arguing for your position in court, if necessary
Safeguarding your rights during legal proceedings

If you are considering petitioning for child custody or recently received legal paperwork regarding a child custody matter, contact our law firm today for a confidential case review.

What Is Child Custody?

Child custody refers to two distinct legal matters. Legal custody is the right to make crucial decisions regarding your child’s life, such as where they go to school, their religious affiliation, and which medical treatments they receive. This is sometimes referred to as parenting rights and responsibilities.

Physical custody refers to where the child lives most of the time. The time the parent spends pursuant to a custody plan is called parenting time.

In Ohio, each type of custody can be sole, in which only one parent has the right, or joint, in which both parents share the right. If one parent has sole physical custody, they are called the primary custodial parent.

Who Can Get Child Custody in Ohio?

Either parent can get child custody of their child. Parenting time and visitation can be granted to parents or a grandparent, relative, or other person.

What Are Ohio’s Main Child Custody Laws?

Ohio has a number of important child custody laws, including:

Unmarried Parents

When a child is born out of wedlock, the mother is considered the sole residential parent and legal custodian of the child until a court makes an order stating otherwise. When the court has a child custody petition before it, it must treat the mother and father as being on equal footing when making custody determinations.

Unmarried parents of a child are subject to conciliation with a magistrate, who can help resolve disputes regarding the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities. The magistrate can make an order regarding the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, parenting time, companionship, or visitation. This process may use family counselors and other professionals.

Temporary Custody

After a parent makes a legal complaint regarding parenting responsibilities or parenting time, the court has the right to make a temporary order without a hearing regarding these matters while the action is pending.

Right to Decide Child Custody

The parents have the right to discuss their desires for a co-parenting relationship. If they can reach an agreement, they can submit this desired arrangement to the court, which will usually approve it as long as the court finds it in the child’s best interests.

Mandatory Mediation, Counseling, and Parenting Classes

If parents do not agree about child custody matters, the court has the right to order the parents to mediate their differences according to state law. Mediation involves a third-party neutral facilitator who tries to get the parents to reach common ground and reach an amicable decision regarding these important matters. When determining whether mediation is appropriate, the court considers whether there is any previous finding of domestic violence.

Additionally, the court can order the parents to attend parenting classes or counseling. If the court orders these and a parent refuses to participate in them, it can consider this information when making custody determinations.

What Factors Do Courts Consider When Awarding Child Custody?

Ohio courts that have custody cases before them make decisions by determining what is in the child’s best interests. The court considers various factors when determining child custody, including:

Where each parent lives and their proximity to each other
Each parent’s employment schedule, the child’s school schedule, and the child’s and parents’ holiday and vacation schedules
The relationship between the child and each parent, including previous interactions
The relationship between the child and their siblings or other relatives
The physical and mental health of each parent
The child’s age
The child’s adjustment to home, school, and community
The child’s wishes
The child’s health and safety
The amount of time the child would have to spend with siblings
Any previous conviction or history of domestic violence, child abuse, or child neglect
Each parent’s willingness to facilitate the relationship with the other parent
Whether a parent has denied the other parent’s right to parenting time in accordance with a court order
Whether either parent has established a residence in another state or is planning to

An experienced child custody lawyer can evaluate your situation to determine the strongest arguments to make in your case and knows how to present them effectively.

Examples of Parenting Plan Arrangements

The Supreme Court of Ohio has published the Planning for Parenting Time Ohio’s Guide for Parents Living Apart, which offers various suggested parenting plans and example parenting schedules based on the child’s age. These are just suggested arrangements that are based on providing meaningful and continuous contact between the child and each parent. As the child ages, when their bond with each parent has been forged, they provide more extended periods away from each parent. A two-year-old and a 17-year-old’s schedules will look very different, for example.

Tips for Making Shared Parenting Plans

Parenting plans should consider your family’s unique needs. A successful parenting plan can help provide clarity and establish a written program to follow. Here are some tips to make an effective shared parenting plan:

Be specific: You can provide detailed information about vacations, school breaks, and holidays. Some parents also provide backup plans in case parenting time doesn’t work out due to an emergency, illness, or employment mishap.
Be fair: Shared parenting is an agreement between parents. It’s important to negotiate realistic terms, considering your schedule and your child’s needs.
Put your child first: You can’t go wrong when both parents are committed to doing what is best for their child above all other interests.
Consider your child’s age and developmental needs: Parenting time with a toddler may look much different than with an independent teenager. Consider your child’s needs and age-appropriate preferences.
Communicate directly: Things may come up that may require a slight adjustment to the plan. Communicate with the other parent directly. There are apps and other technological tools to help facilitate this. Avoid using your child as a messenger.
Share information: Let the other parent know about upcoming school functions, medical appointments, extracurricular activities, and other events that could affect the parenting schedule.

The legal team at Atkins And Atkins, Attorneys At Law, LLC has extensive experience building unique parent plans that work for families. We can help you negotiate a fair plan that meets your family’s unique needs.

Contact Our Columbus Child Custody Lawyers for a Confidential Consultation

If you are considering child custody options as part of a divorce or separation from your partner, Atkins And Atkins, Attorneys At Law, LLC is here to help. An experienced Columbus child custody lawyer from our firm can meet with you to discuss your particular legal situation and explain the options available to you. Contact us today for a confidential consultation.