Child Custody and Visitation

Determining child custody is often the most difficult and emotional part of a case that people face. Custody of minor children must be addressed in all family law cases in which there are minor children, including but not limited to divorce, legal separation, domestic violence restraining order requests, termination of domestic partnerships, annulments and parentage actions.

California law requires that the court keep “the best interests” of the children at the forefront when determining custody and forming a timeshare arrangement between the parents. Often, the parents can come to an agreement outside of court regarding what is in their own child’s best interests. If they are able to do so, the Judge will most likely accept the agreement.

However, if parents are not able to come to an agreement, a Judge may ultimately have to determine a custody and timeshare arrangement that he/she believe is in your children’s best interest based on the limited information he/she has about your child/children. This can be very emotionally difficult for the parents and therefore, it is often best for the parents to agree to a timeshare arrangement on their own.