White Plains NY Divorce & Family Law Attorney
It’s a fact that more than 40% of American marriages end in divorce. While that process is stressful and emotional in and of itself, the child-related issues surrounding it can be all the more contentious.
New York State differentiates between physical custody and legal custody of the child. Physical custody addresses with which parent the child will primarily live and creates a visitation schedule for the non-custodial parent.
Legal custody refers to defining each parent’s rights in decisions regarding such issues as the child’s education and religious upbringing.
In recent years, a national trend has been developing toward “equal shared parenting” in child custody cases. While New York has not yet officially created nor changed statutes to legally accommodate equal shared parenting, public attitudes do seem to be trending in that direction.
Barring issues such as domestic violence, serious mental illness and/or substance abuse, studies have shown that joint child custody and co-parenting arrangements are beneficial to the children of divorce.
Under those circumstances, negotiating a mutually-agreed upon, signed co-parenting plan can be very beneficial to all concerned, by creating a cooperative custody environment, helping to eliminate misunderstanding and conflict between the parents.
Among the elements to include in a well-crafted co-parenting plan:
- Parenting Time, such as when & where the child will spend time with each parent
- Major Decision-Making, such as educational and religious issues
- Parental Relocation
- Communication & Information Sharing
Joint child custody and co-parenting situations require substantial effort on the part of both parents in order to be successful and fully benefit their children.
This often means the parents must make their feelings about one another secondary to the co-parenting relationship they must have and forge a “new” relationship with one another to focus on their child’s well-being and healthy development.
Just a few of the proven benefits of joint child custody and co-parenting:
- The children are better able to maintain healthy relationships with both parents.
- Those improved parental relationships often translate into easier adjustment to the reality of the divorce itself.
- Helps the children establish and maintain healthier relationships of their own, both now and later in life.
- Steadier or even improved personal behavior and academic performance in school.
If you are in a situation where you are thinking of divorce and children are involved, issues of child custody will understandably be at the forefront of your considerations.
You want to work with an attorney who is highly skilled, compassionate and tenacious in defending your parental rights and the relationship you have with your child.
I offer my clients nearly 24 years attorney experience in Divorce & Family Law, including negotiating, mediating and litigating all child-related issues such as Child Custody and Visitation, Child Support and Child Relocation.
If you have a divorce, child custody or any other family law related matter, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Free Initial 15 Minute Phone or Video Consultation
Convenient Downtown White Plains Office Location
