Southfield Divorce Attorney and Family Law

The current trend in Michigan divorce cases for child custody and parenting time is to share joint legal custody. According to Judith Blumeno, Southfield Divorce attorney, more divorced couples are agreeing to share joint physical custody of their children.

As a parent you are well aware that your children require care and support during and after the divorce. When you and your spouse can agree on custody and parenting time after the divorce, the courts generally accept that decision because they assume that parents know their children best.

Even so, the Southfield Family Law practice of Judith Blumeno has worked with many clients whose divorces present difficult issues that need resolving about their divorce and custody of children. She describes these as very emotional issues when parents do not agree on what is best for their children all of which can lead to higher court costs and higher legal fees. It is always less expensive for clients when she helps them understand what they need to do so that the court acts in the best interests of their children which will also be close to their best interests.

Making certain her clients understand many of the legal terms that will be used in a divorce case, Southfield Divorce Lawyer, Judith Blumeno, often provides a glossary of several legal terms which focus on child custody and parenting time. You need to understand these terms before you begin working with a lawyer about your pending divorce.

Legal Custody refers to your rights as a parent to make major about the care and welfare of your child. Subjects such as education, the decision to undergo elective health procedures and religious training are the primary topics about which parents with legal custody have responsibility. According to her 18 years experience as a Southfield Divorce Attorney, many of Judith Blumeno's clients share legal custody and enjoy joint legal custody.

The term Physical Custody refers to the parent with whom the children live most of the time. Parenting Time, once called visitation, is the time the children spend with the parent who does not have physical custody. Hence, they are visiting their other parent. Joint Physical Custody takes place when the children spend an equal or close to equal amount of time with both parents.

Joint Physical Custody works well for those clients of the Southfield Divorce Lawyer when both parents get along and work together well. If this isn't the case, however, a joint custody arrangement opens the door for continuing conflict which eventually affects the children. That is why it is important to construct a parenting plan which helps both parents develop and maintain a meaningful relationship with their children. Acknowledging and being honest about their work-life responsibilities is a good first step.

The Bloomfield Divorce Attorney and Family Law practice also has clients who request sole custody. There are two types of sole custody:

• Sole Legal Custody takes place when one parent has the right and responsibility to make the major decisions about the child's education, medical care, religious development and emotional welfare.
• Sole Physical Custody takes place when the child resides with and under the supervision of one parent and is visited by the other parent unless the court decides that such a visit is not in the best interests of the child.

The court can arrange for sole custody in varying ways. For instance, one parent may have full legal and physical sole custody rights. Another way the court may decide is to give one parent legal sole custody rights but share physical custody through a visitation schedule. It is rare for the court to award sole physical and legal custody to one parent unless the court decides that on parent is totally unfit. That may be because of drug or alcohol abuse or child neglect.

Southfield Divorce Attorney, Judith Blumeno, recognizes that every parent and child relationship is unique and that one answer to everyone's divorce problems cannot work. The Bloomfield Hills Divorce Lawyer is committed to helping each client find the right solution to a visitation or parenting time dispute always keeping in mind the unique relationship between each parent and child. If you are interested in a highly respected, very experienced divorce attorney who uses this approach, contact the Southfield Family Law practice at 248 – 593-9090.