Child Custody

You have your child’s best interests at heart. So does The Zhou Law Group.

When parents divorce, who any minor children live with and who has legal authority over those children is at issue. Often, parents make such arrangements themselves, or with the assistance of their respective attorneys and/or a mediator. When they are unable to reach such a decision, the Court will intervene and make the necessary orders based on the child(ren)’s best interest.

There are two main types of child custody: “legal custody”, or who will make major decisions for the child, such as relating to healthcare or education, and “physical custody”, or with whom the child will live. Both types of custody may be awarded jointly (to both parties), or solely (to one party). Physical custody may or may not be equally shared between the parties, and one party may be assigned an actual visitation schedule.

In deciding who will have custody of any minor children, the court takes various factors into consideration and the best interest of the children is always the priority. If the children are old enough, the court will take their preference into account in making a custody decision. Hiring an attorney is the best way to make sure your custody rights are protected.