When Can Child Custody be Modified?
Although money and property are important matters in a divorce, these assets pale in comparison with the legal issues affecting your children. A child custody battle will affect their lives long after it is over. It will affect where your children live and go to school and the time you spend with them until they become young adults. It is critical for you to choose a lawyer who understands these matters and does not leave it up to chance. It is extremely important to have a caring, knowledgeable advocate to guide you through these important legal issues.
At Greenwood Law, we handle a wide array of legal issues involving children, including child custody and support. With great care and concern, we personally handle matters involving your children. We understand the emotional considerations and the importance of making sound decisions now to prevent hardship for your children later. Our attorneys will take the time to listen to your situation, explain your legal options and develop a legal strategy while keeping your child’s best interests at heart. Our law firm is committed to protecting your parental rights and maintaining the best interests of children.
Navigating Custody Issues
Legal custody v. Physical custody
Child custody issues are separated into two types:
- Legal custody: This will determine who makes critical decisions about education, religion, health care, and other matters involving your children. If you have legal custody, you make all the major decisions in regards to your child. Legal custody may be given to both parents or to a single parent.
- Physical custody: This will determine where the child holds primary residence. If you have physical custody, you make the daily decisions in regards to your child’s care. The noncustodial parent is generally granted visitation by the court.
Parents will often share legal custody, and physical custody, to some degree, even if it is unequal. Parents are strongly encouraged to work toward agreement on custody issues in lieu of a judge’s involvement. Most of the time, a child is best served by maintaining a meaningful relationship with both parents. We will take the time to walk you through the law. We want you to understand all of your options as well as what is possible and what is realistic for your personal situation involving custody and visitation.
Child custody modification
Though a court’s custody decision is part of a permanent, or final, order, modifications to custody can be made only upon a showing of a substantial change in circumstances affecting the welfare of the child since the entry of a previous custody order. Such a change in circumstances can include one parent’s violation of the order or the failure of a child to physically or emotionally thrive in a certain environment or circumstances.
Either you or your child’s other parent may petition to modify child custody. If you petition to modify child custody, however, then you must provide evidence of the above circumstances. It is important that you bring your motion in regards to child custody modification with great care. If you do not, you can hurt your chances to modify child custody. We can help you best understand your options and introduce your motion for custody modification to the court.
We Care About You And Your family
At Greenwood Law, you will not be treated like a case number. We treat every client with the respect he or she deserves. We give every client our absolute best, and we will give you our best if we handle your case.
Going through a child custody dispute is a stressful, frightening experience, but a skilled lawyer can take much of the anxiety out of the equation. We give our clients straight talk and strong advocacy. If you hire our law firm, you will know where you stand and that you have a lawyer willing to go the extra mile for you!
Contact Us Today
If you are facing custody issues in North Carolina, we are here to protect your rights and the rights of your children. Contact Greenwood Law today online or by telephone at 336-661-8788 to arrange a consultation with a knowledgeable Winston-Salem and North Carolina child custody/family law attorney. A consult fee is charged for family law.