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If you are a parent and considering divorce, your primary concern is likely your children. You want to play a role in their upbringing and lives. The best way to preserve that bond and relationship is by securing the assistance of a family law attorney who is familiar with custody cases and parental rights.
A seasoned Tacoma visitation lawyer from our Lutz & Associates, P.S., understands the sensitivity and importance of these matters. Family law is all we do, and we have been doing it since 1997. We have represented both custodial and noncustodial parents, and could stand by your side to offer you advice and guidance as we help you reach a resolution that satisfies everyone.
When parents separate, they must decide on various custody matters for the two main types of custody: legal and physical. Legal custody gives a parent decision-making authority over their child’s welfare and well-being. A parent with legal custody has input in deciding important issues concerning their child’s education, religion, and health care. In most cases, unless there is a history of abuse or violence, courts grant joint legal custody to both parents, requiring them to make important decisions together. For instance, if a couple has joint legal custody, one parent cannot unilaterally decide to stop bringing their child to routine pediatric visits.
Most conflicts concerning child custody in Tacoma involve physical custody and visitation rights, which a compassionate attorney could help you with. Physical custody addresses where the children will live. Unless it would be harmful to the children, the state encourages both parents to play an active role in their children’s lives and share physical custody. However, when a couple has shared physical custody, that does not necessarily mean they will share custody equally. Instead, a child might live more often with one parent, making them the custodial parent.
With one parent being the custodial parent, that means the noncustodial parent has visitation rights, which Washington courts refer to as parenting time, and it varies from family to family to accommodate their lives. Some parenting time arrangements can be as simple as the noncustodial parent having the child every other weekend, or plans can be considerably more involved.
If you suspect your children will live with their other parent, you should consult with a lawyer in Tacoma who understands how to help protect your visitation and parenting rights. Our skilled legal team could work with you and the other parent’s attorney to develop a parenting plan that protects your rights and preserves your relationship with your children.
Parenting time and custody arrangements are set in a parenting plan that must receive final court approval. Once a court determines custody and visitation rights, any modifications to them will require additional legal action. That is why it is important to speak to a Tacoma lawyer who handles child custody cases about your visitation concerns immediately. We could help ensure your parenting plan considers possible future scenarios to minimize the need to renegotiate the arrangement later.
However, life circumstances can change. You or your child’s other parent might get a job with different hours or in a different location that makes your existing parenting arrangement no longer feasible. Our seasoned legal team could help you petition the court to modify the current plan in accordance with the Revised Code of Washington § 26.09.260.
Having enough quality time with your children is important. With decades of experience, our attorneys have successfully helped many families in similar situations. We are a dedicated family law team that builds long-lasting relationships with our clients to help them find a satisfactory resolution to custody and other family law issues. Do not hesitate to reach out to a Tacoma visitation lawyer from Lutz & Associates, P.S. at (253) 471-7774, or contact us online.