Canal Fulton Child Custody Lawyers

Many parents hire “bulldog” Canal Fulton child custody lawyers. These attorneys contest every decision and refuse to compromise. In ye olden days, this strategy was often effective. But today, Ohio has a co-parenting law. So, overly-aggressive lawyers often do their clients a disservice. Many judges assume that parents who are cantankerous during divorce proceedings will be even worse when direct court supervision ends.

At the Fout Law Office, our Canal Fulton child custody lawyers know when to press the issue and when to compromise. This flexible approach helps us do more than uphold our clients’ legal and financial rights. It helps our professional team find the cost-effective, long-term solutions your family needs.

Child Custody Factors in Ohio

Ohio’s child custody law includes a presumption that children benefit from meaningful and consistent contact with both parents. Nevertheless, there must be a residential and non-residential parent. As the name implies, children spend most of their time with their residential parents. To make the distinction, Ohio law includes a number of factors, such as:

• Child’s Interaction with Each Parent: There is a stay-at-home parent, which is the mother in about a third of Stark County households. In many of these situations, the children interact most with the stay-at-home parent. Of course, that is not always the case.
• Child’s Preference: Many children do not express a preference because they do not want to take sides in the divorce. Even if a child makes a choice, the judge has the final say. Many children, and many adults as well, make decisions based on their wants as opposed to their needs.
• Parent’s Preference: Some parents are bound and determined to be residential parents and some are quite happy with liberal visitation rights. In this context, courts rarely force parents to assume duties they do not want.
• Parent’s Fitness: Frequently, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. For example, parents who struggle with substance addiction and other such issues usually do not make good residential parents. If they overcome these addictions, a motion to modify might be appropriate.

Canal Fulton child custody lawyers must be mindful of these factors during legal arguments and negotiation sessions. Judges pay close attention to arguments centered on the factors. Most courts only approve settlement agreements that uphold key child custody factors.

Resolving Child Custody Disputes

Even the most emotionally-charged child custody cases usually settle out of court. Tense courtroom showdowns make great theater in movies and TV, but they usually damage a child’s long-term emotional health.

Frequently, Canal Fulton’s child custody lawyers resolve these cases during informal negotiations. Typically, these settlement negotiations begin after a social services investigation, if the judge ordered one, is complete.

In other situations, a third-party mediator helps resolve child custody disputes. After hearing from both sides, the mediator, who is usually an unaffiliated Canal Fulton child custody lawyer, tries to facilitate a settlement between the two sides. If both parties negotiate in good faith, mediation is usually successful.

Contact a Tenacious Attorney

Parenting time decisions must be in the best interests of the children. For a confidential consultation with an experienced Canal Fulton child custody lawyer, contact Fout Law. Convenient payment plans are available.