If you and your spouse have begun divorce proceedings in Virginia, your post-divorce custody arrangement probably is one of your biggest mutual concerns. Each of you wants what is best for your kids, and neither of you likely believes that a weekend father or mother is in their best interests. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of judges, family law attorneys, child psychologists and divorced parents agree with you. For them, joint custody is far preferable for children and parents alike in all but abuse and/or neglect situations.
How is custody determined for special needs children?
Virginia judges will examine the best interests of a child when deciding how a child custody arrangement will proceed. But when that child is disabled or has special needs, determining custody will require a deeper examination of the child’s state of health as well as psychological and emotional concerns. Sometimes a custody arrangement will address issues that a more standard custody arrangement will not.
How does remarriage affect your child?
As you begin to navigate your life in Virginia after your divorce, you may start to think ahead to getting married again. While you may have found someone you love and want to marry, you cannot forget about your children. Adding someone new to your family will be a huge change. In some cases, it could be equal to the divorce in the impact it has on your kids. You have to take the initiative to ensure the new marriage does not affect your relationship with your children.
How to get through the holidays as a two-home family
After a divorce, life changes dramatically. The children have to adjust to two households. This can be challenging on a normal day, but when the holidays come around, it can become very stressful. It is tough to ensure everyone can have a good holiday celebration without any parent or extended family missing out on time with the children.
Do Virginia grandparents have visitation rights?
As a Virginia grandparent, a time may come when you would like to pursue visitation rights to your grandchild, and you may wonder whether you have grounds to obtain them. According to The Spruce, the state does not have statutes that are specific to grandparent visitation. Rather, the same set of statutes concern decisions regarding both visitation and custody.
Study: How joint custody benefits kids
There are many kids who spend a majority of the time with the custodial parent, and then visit the other parent on the weekends and on holidays. However, a study shows the benefits that kids experience when they are able to spend equal amounts of time with each parent. A meta-analysis reported in the Journal of Family Psychology found that children of divorce are often better adjusted when parents have shared custody rather than sole-physical custody.
Can I access my child’s records if I do not have custody?
Parenting after divorce can prove to be a difficult struggle. If you do not have custody of your child, you may find yourself constantly battling to have sufficient visitation time and receive the rights you feel you deserve as a parent. One area that can prove especially tricky for non-custodial parents is control over health, medical and school records. Even if you do not have custody, situations may arise where you need to access your child’s information. The Virginia State government details what the law says about these incidents.
What divorce issues can a parenting plan help with?
Parents want to minimize the trauma that their child experiences if they and their spouse decide to get a divorce. They want to assure their child that their divorce has nothing to do with them and that they are still loved. One way that parents can do this is by developing a comprehensive parenting agreement or plan. Agreeing to a parenting plan can help diffuse a lot of child custody issues that can arise during a divorce. But what specific issues can a parenting plan help with?
Typical duties of a custodial parent
Child custody can be one of the most volatile topics during a divorce. And while most courts want to give both parents joint custody of their child, there are times when primary custody is given to only one parent. When those situations arise, it's very important for the custodial parent to remember that they have specific responsibilities regarding their child custody arrangement. So, here is a brief look at some of these typical custodial parent duties.
How is a child custody order enforced in Virginia?
While most Virginia family courts try to give divorcing parents joint custody of their child, there are occasions when one parent is given primary custody. In situations like this, the parent who was not awarded custody must then relinquish custody of the child to the custodial parent. But, what happens if the non-custodial parent refuses to honor the child custody agreement after the divorce? How then is a child custody order enforced in Virginia?
