Child Custody Disputes in Atlanta Georgia

Atlanta GA Child Custody Lawyers

When a couple is going through a divorce there are a number of different issues that can become contentious, and all of them are important in their own right. However, matters involving the children are especially sensitive, and this is something that should make people take pause before deciding that divorce is their only option. When you file for a divorce you are putting an end to a marital partnership that exists between two individuals. But you are also extinguishing the family dynamic as it applies to the children. This clearly has a profound impact on them, but it is also going to affect each of the parents. There is the emotional side to it, but there are also quality of life issues. Most families today depend on the combined incomes of both partners, so when one income disappears that void will most certainly be felt.

That having been said, when a couple makes the decision to go forward with a divorce, they have to decide on the matter of child custody. There are two different forms of custody that need to be considered. There is physical custody, referring to the parent with whom the child or children reside for the most part. But then there is legal custody, and this involves decision making power in behalf of the children regarding matters of education, religion, medical choices, and the like. It is possible for the parents to share one or both forms of custody. There is also such a thing as split custody, which is when there are multiple children and each parent has custody of at least one of them.

In most cases the parents can come to a child custody agreement on their own, but sometimes they cannot. In these instances the court will generally refer the couple to a third party mediator who will try to facilitate a mutually amenable solution. The state of Georgia approaches child custody matters with the underlying intention of minimizing any potential trauma to the children, and custody battles played out in court can certainly have traumatizing ramifications. For this reason the court would very much prefer that the parents reach a custody arrangement voluntarily, but if all efforts fail the judge will indeed make the final determination.

For more information about child custody disputes, contact an Atlanta GA family lawyer for a free consultation.