Custody Issues in San Diego, CA

Whether a father of a child is or was married to the person now raising that father’s child, or if the father’s paternity has not been established in court yet, working out custody issues with the parent or other party raising the child can be one of the more difficult processes in family law, both from a legal perspective and an emotional perspective. Establishing custody and visitation rights with a child can also go on for years as the parties’ circumstances change. At the Law Offices of Andy Cook in San Diego, we help parties who are dealing with visitation and custody issues, while ensuring that the rights and interests of the parties and those of their children are preserved and protected now and into the future.

Establishing Custody and Visitation in a Divorce or Separation

When parents begin the process of separation or divorce, it is important to start planning for custody and visitation as soon as possible. In many cases, the parents will work together, often through negotiation facilitated by their lawyers, to create an agreement for custody and visitation that will work for both parents and, most importantly, will serve the best interests of the child or children of the parents. While this agreement will of course deal with how much time the children spend with each parent and under what circumstances (i.e. which parent will accompany the children to their soccer games), it should also set out an arrangement by which decisions are made for the children’s welfare, including their health and education, and what kind of access each parent has to the children in general, i.e. ability to telephone the children. After the parties or their lawyers work out this arrangement, they will go through the process of filing the necessary documents in court and seeking the judge’s approval.