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Roanoke, VA Family Law, Personal Injury and Criminal Law Attorney

How To Navigate Sensitive Child Custody Issues

After a divorce, it is critical to make sure that your custody and visitation rights are secured. You also want to protect the best interests of your children. A child custody and visitation lawyer can help you do that. At the Roanoke firm of Johnson Law PLC, we have the experience to assist you in protecting your custody interests during divorce, or in a dispute between grandparents, custodial parents or unmarried parents. We will take the time to understand your unique situation and develop an appropriate solution to protect your custody interests, as well as resolve issues of child support.

How The Court Determines Custody

The resolution of child custody and visitation disputes requires divorcing parents to act rationally in their child’s best interests at a time when they are facing the overwhelming stress of divorce. Our attorney helps you see that the best interests of the child are at the core of the legal standards used to determine custody. Factors considered by the court include:

  • The child’s preference
  • The ability of the parent(s) to provide for the child’s well-being
  • Stability of the home environment
  • The mental and physical health of each parent
  • The financial standing of each parent
  • Any history of abuse

The court considers the same factors when determining visitation. Family law attorney Neal Johnson can assist you in your pursuit of a fair custody agreement through knowledgeable advice and skilled representation.

Making Sense Of Virginia Child Custody Agreements

In Virginia, there are two types of custody: physical and legal. Physical custody refers to your child’s primary residence. Legal custody authorizes one or both parents to make decisions regarding the health, education and welfare of your child. Within this framework, there are several possible scenarios:

  • Joint legal and physical custody, with both parents sharing decision-making responsibility and both having significant parenting time
  • Joint legal custody, with one parent having sole physical custody and the other having regular visitation
  • Sole legal and physical custody to one parent, with the other parent having regular visitation

Biological parents are not the only people with custodial rights. Grandparents, stepparents and other parties with a legitimate interest can be awarded custody and visitation in certain circumstances. We will inform you of your options, explore alternatives and give you the information you need to make the best decisions for your family.

Experience That Protects You, Your Family And Your Future

For an attorney who is experienced in family law cases involving child custody and visitation matters, call 540-685-0136 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.