Buffalo Child Custody Lawyer Explains What’s Important to Know about Custody
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As an experienced Buffalo Child Custody Lawyer, I often hear from clients with concerns about child custody during a divorce. Issues with regards to child custody and access are really important when you have a family and there are children involved. Custody is generally going to go to the party who’s been the primary caretaker for the children during the course of the marriage, and there are different forms of custody.
There’s sole custody where one party, one spouse is the primary decision maker. There’s joint custody where both parties work together in making these decisions. But even when there is a joint custody situation, generally one party or the other is going to be the residential parent, and the primary issue with regard to that is who has been the primary caretaker during the course of the marriage. And by that, I mean, who takes care of the children on a daily basis? Who gets them off to school? Who takes care of the homework with them? Who makes arrangements for their haircuts or doctor’s appointments? Who attends the school meetings? All of those factors are very important in determining whether or not a joint custody situation, who’s going to be the residential parent, those issues are going to be very important.
With respect to access, typical access for the New York State, for the nonresidential parent, will be alternate weekends, from Friday after school through Sunday at a time usually around seven o’clock to make certain that the kids are going to be getting off to school on a regular basis. Two or even three nights a week or one or two hours, maybe three, depending on the situation as far as schooling is concerned. Being able to attend all of the activities of the children, I have clients as a Buffalo Child Custody Lawyer that come in and they have children that are involved in everything, they have La Crosse, they have football, they have gymnastics, they have dance. Parents, want to be able to participate in all those different events, you don’t necessarily have to be the parent who actually takes the child to that situation in order to be able to be there and participate and enjoy the event with the children and that can all be sat for in a proper parenting or access agreement.
As far as holidays are concerned, it could be set up different ways, you can alternate holidays, you can share holidays from specific time frame, the holidays will include Christmas Eve and Christmas day, usually as separate holidays. I advise my clients as a Buffalo Child Custody Lawyer that it’s same in regards to New Year’s Eve or New Year’s day, and then after that, all the religious national holidays that you ordinarily enjoy are going to be either shared or alternated between the parties.
If you have questions regarding child custody or divorce in New York, contact our skilled Buffalo Child Custody Lawyers today for a consultation. Let our experience work for you.
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This informational blog post was brought to you by Randy H. Gugino, an experienced Buffalo Child Custody Lawyer.
