When you’re going through a divorce and working through child custody, you need experienced, reliable representation. Dellino Family Law holds a five-star rating with Trust Index and is the only family law firm you should trust with family matters. A Silverdale family lawyer from our firm is ready to get to work for you.
Child custody plans determine how much time you spend with your child and how much input you have in their lives. You need a skilled legal representative who can support you and provide fierce advocacy throughout the process. A child custody lawyer in Silverdale from our team can fulfill those needs.
A Silverdale Child Custody Lawyer Can Provide Immediate Help
Sadly, some relationships involve domestic violence. Initial custody hearings typically don’t occur for 30 to 60 days after filing for divorce. When it’s not safe for your child to spend time with your ex unsupervised, you can’t wait that long to take action. Our team can work to help you get emergency custody of your child.
If your divorce is civil, you and your spouse can determine how to handle custody of your children until the first hearing. At that hearing, the judge will issue temporary custody orders that apply until the divorce proceedings are resolved. You must comply with the terms. You lose favor with the court if you violate the temporary order. That loss of favor can impact the permanent orders.
Once temporary orders are in place, you, your ex, and your respective attorneys work to create a custody agreement. Sometimes parents arrive at a common ground without conflict.
The court reviews the plan and ultimately has the final say. If approved, the arrangement can be implemented as a permanent one and included in your divorce decree.
When Parents Don’t Agree
Child custody discussions can become contentious. In these cases, the court may order mediation to help resolve conflicts and make custody planning more productive.
Having representation from a Silverdale child custody attorney during this process is critical. An attorney can advise you on what to say and what you should not say in child custody mediation.
Making accusations or expressing angry remarks against your ex does not help your situation. Showing an unwillingness to compromise also works against you.
We understand the high-stress nature of custody discussions and will be there to support you. Part of that support is helping you stay calm and focused on developing a reasonable arrangement.
Custody Arrangements Determine Residency and Decision-Making
Washington courts refer to child custody agreements as “parenting plans.” Parenting plans settle issues of the child’s residency and each parent’s role in making important decisions for the child. These decisions are often regarding the child’s education, health, religious instruction, and other life-affecting matters.
One common arrangement is joint custody. Parents share in decision-making and the time the child lives with each parent. Parenting time is not always equal. For example, the child may live with one parent during the week and the other on weekends. A 50/50 arrangement occurs when the living time is split equally. The child may spend alternate weeks with each parent.
If a parent has sole physical custody of the child, the child lives with that parent. The other parent sees the child according to the visitation established in the parenting plan. Arrangements can also allow for one parent to have sole physical custody while still sharing joint decision-making rights.
What the Court Considers When Determining Custody Agreements
When deciding custody arrangements, the court’s primary goal is to serve the best interests of the child, per RCW 26.09.002. To make this determination, the court considers many factors, including:
- The child’s relationship with each parent
- The child’s emotional, social, developmental, and educational needs
- Each parent’s physical, emotional, and mental health
- The child’s connection to their community and school
- What adjustments the child will have to make to an additional home
- The child’s preference, based on their level of maturity
- Any history of abuse
Since fathers’ rights are on equal grounds with mothers in Washington State, neither party has an automatic upper hand. With over 180 years of combined experience, the team at Dellino Family Law knows how to create parenting plans that serve your family and earn court approval.
Following Parenting Plans
You must follow the parenting plan approved by the court. If your ex breaks the agreement, do not retaliate in kind. If you are paying child support, do not withhold that support to get back at your ex. Instead, talk to your attorney and document every violation.
Your attorney can tell you if you have grounds to file a motion of contempt with the court. The parent violating the agreement could face fines and other consequences. If your ex denied your visitation, you could get “make-up time” with your child.
Handling Other Child-Custody Matters
Permanent custody orders remain until the child is 18 years old. If a divorce occurs when the child is young, the time to change the parenting plan could happen before then. The parents’ respective situations and the child’s needs may change, prompting demands for plan adjustments.
Per RCW 26.09.260, parents can modify a parenting plan or divorce decree if the requester can prove there has been a substantial change in circumstances. One parent could develop an illness. Work schedules could change. A parent not initially granted custody because of financial or other instability could resolve their issues and request a change to shared custody.
One parent may want to move. A child custody attorney in Silverdale knows all you need to know about relocation of children in Washington State, and we know how to petition for or challenge modifications to child custody agreements. All changes must go through the legal process and get court approval.
Your Family Matters to Us
Dellino Family Law wants to bring you peace of mind, so you can continue going through your daily life while we address the legalities of your divorce and child-custody issues.
You can trust a Silverdale child custody lawyer from our firm to seek the best for your family and fight to uphold your parental rights.