Custody, Visitation and Child Support FAQ Category
A common misconception is that there is a magic age when children can simply tell a judge they want to live with one parent over the other, and that is the end of the case. This is not true. A child’s wishes as to who her custodian would be is one of eight factors a court must consider in making a custody decision. A custody order must be in the child’s best interest. What a child wishes may be contrary to that child’s best interest. A Parenting Plan is not required for children 18 and over, so it could be said that the answer to this question is 18.
It is usually best to avoid discussing with the child where he or she wants to live. Children most often love both parents, no matter how bad one or both may be. Asking them to say where they want to live puts too much pressure on most children, and actually could end up damaging your relationship with them.
There is no such thing as “full custody” in the State of Missouri. Custody is made up of two parts: legal and physical. Legal custody involves who has the right to make decisions for the children and be informed about the children. Physical custody involves where the children spend their time. Under each of these types of custody you have either joint or sole. (more…)
Joint physical custody does not mean equal time for each parent, although it can mean this for some families. Joint physical custody means that each parent will have significant and (more…)
A basic parenting plan allows the non-residential parent to have parenting time on alternating weekends, one evening during the week, a portion of the summer, and alternating holidays. However, many times parties end up with a schedule that is different than this. The guiding principle in determining a custody schedule is the best interests of your children. (more…)