Hiring the best Child Custody attorney is one of the most important decisions that you can make for your family. Hiring a knowledgeable attorney to represent you will give you peace of mind and confidence that your parenting rights are protected throughout your case.
During divorce or legal separation proceedings, parents must decide where their children will live and who will have responsibility for making important legal decisions about them. This is known as custody and visitation. Typically, both parents come up with a custody arrangement that works for them and put it in writing. However, if the parties are unable to agree on their own, the courts will determine a custody arrangement for them.
In determining what is in the best interests of the children, a judge may order an assessment to be performed by a mental health professional, such as a psychologist. The psychologist will meet with the parents and children to conduct tests and observations and then make a recommendation to the court as to which parent should have custody. The judge will usually take these recommendations seriously, but the outcome of the case will ultimately depend on the facts of each individual situation.
There are several different types of custody arrangements that can be awarded to parents, including sole physical custody and joint legal custody. In joint legal custody, both parents retain decision-making authority over the child’s welfare, education, and medical care. This is the most common type of custody granted to married couples. However, in some situations, a judge will award sole legal custody to one parent if the other parent is deemed unfit to be a custodial parent (i.e., drug abuse, alcohol abuse, criminal activity, environmental concerns, living arrangements, new romantic partners, and so forth).
Sole physical custody is the most restrictive type of custody available. In this scenario, the child will live with a single parent and will attend the same school and participate in the same extracurricular activities. The other parent will receive supervised or unsupervised visitation, as the court sees fit.
A Knoxville Child Custody lawyer will work closely with you to prepare your case and argue for the best custody arrangement for your unique situation. They will explain your state’s laws and legal rights regarding child custody to you, and they will also help you interpret the information that you receive from the other party in your case.
If you need a Knoxville child support attorney, contact Rebecca Bell Jenkins. She will help you get the financial support that you need for your child. She focuses on family law cases, such as divorce, adoption, paternity and father’s rights, and juvenile law. She can also assist you with enforcing and modifying child support agreements, as well as contempt of court matters related to non-payment. She has been in practice since 2013, and she represents clients in Knoxville and the surrounding areas. She is fluent in Russian and has experience working with clients from a diverse background.
