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Cases involving children are often the most difficult matter for clients and courts. No one knows your child as well as you do, but too often parents leave parenting decisions to a judge because they do not consult a child custody attorney. At Coast Family Law, we help you sort through these emotional issues and focus on the best interest of your child.
We often explain the concept of custody as the ability to make the major decisions (i.e., education, religion, medical, etc.). In Oregon, custody may be shared jointly between the parents, or rest solely with one parent.
Joint custody works if you and the other parent can communicate with one another when it comes to discussing the children. If you see eye to eye on issues of religion, education and health, then joint custody may work. If you cannot talk to each other or don’t agree on major issues, it’s unwise to agree to joint custody. Many couples who agree to joint custody find themselves back in court a year or so later, because either they, or the other parent, now want sole custody.
Parenting time is what most clients see as the most important issue – the time you get to spend with your child. In Oregon, every divorce or paternity matter that addresses child custody must include a parenting time plan. This is a schedule for which parent will exercise care over the child at which time.
The best parenting time plan for you depends on everything from the age of your children to the distance between the parents’ houses. We often recommend that our clients participate in mediation or other negotiation to craft the best parenting plan based on their work schedules, the children’s extracurricular activities, and other details that can be difficult to convey to the judge during a hearing. However, when parents cannot agree on a parenting time plan, or when the circumstances require extra care be taken, we will help our clients lay out the best parenting time plan for their needs and their children.
Coast Family Law regularly represents clients in courts along the Oregon coast, including Clatsop and Tillamook counties. Our office is in Gearhart, conveniently located between Astoria and Tillamook. We invite you to contact us at (503) 739-7616 or using our online contact form to schedule a consultation with a child custody attorney. We look forward to working with you.