Understanding the Court's Role in Child Custody Cases

Divorce can be a trying time for any family. However, when children are involved, custody battles can make divorce that much more difficult. To understand how child custody works, you need to have a grasp of how the courts normally make their decisions.

There are general standards across the judicial system that courts take into consideration for child custody. These include but are not limited to: determining who the primary caretaker is, the wishes of the child(ren), jurisdiction of the court hearing the case, who currently is taking care of the child, as well as the financial/criminal/psychological background of both parents.

While courts have long worked under the premise that children in the "tender years", or formative years, were better off with their mothers, this is not always the case of late. Courts are taking more into consideration when determining custody, rather than relying solely on this antiquated premise.

Are you looking for help with a child custody case?  Contact us to receive advice from a Los Angeles family law attorney.