Divorce is rarely a pleasant experience, especially when children are involved. Many North Carolina divorcees have found that ending a marriage can be especially difficult when it becomes apparent that they will spend less time with the children due to the court’s custody ruling.
When a parent’s bid for child custody is denied, it does not automatically mean that one parent is preferred or superior to the other. In most cases, it has less to do with the capabilities of the non-custodial parent and more to do with what is in the child’s best interests. For instance, if one of the parents will be living in the home that’s familiar to the child, the judge might award primary custody to that parent. This may be seen as preferable to uprooting a child who may already be feeling sad.
In nearly all divorce cases involving children, the courts provide generous visitation rights for noncustodial parents. These decisions are often determined in child custody hearings. When visitation is granted, courts commonly draft a visitation schedule while making every attempt to prevent the child from becoming estranged from either parent.
In some cases, courts may find that visitation rights must be restricted. However, even in these cases, alternate visitation rights may be granted. Options include supervised visitation or virtual visitation through such media as Skype or FaceTime.
Divorcing couples who have children frequently find themselves facing the issue of child custody. Regardless of how amicable the divorce may be, things could change when it comes to rearing the children. Therefore, it’s often a good idea to seek out the services of an attorney experienced in matters of family law, divorce and child custody/visitation. These attorneys may be able to help couples negotiate and agree upon how they will co-parent their children.