Understanding Child Custody in New Jersey
When parents divorce, the final settlement agreement will specify which parent has primary child custody and how often the other parent is granted parenting time. At times, this can be worked out between the parents themselves. However, that is not always the case. In such an event, the custody and parenting time issues are left up to the court. At the law office of Himelman and Himelman, we want to make sure that each client is fully informed about the different types of custody and parenting time arrangements, and that a decision is made in the child’s best interest.
We work with clients in matters involving:
- Joint Legal Custody
- Sole Legal Custody
- Joint Physical Custody
- Sole Physical Custody
- Supervised & Unsupervised Visitation
- Parental Relocations
- Parental Alienation
Which Parent Gets Primary Custody?
In most situations, primary custody is given to one parent, which is where the child would reside. The residential parent typically shares “legal custody” of the child with the other parent. What this means is that both parents have the right to make decisions about the child’s life, their education, religious beliefs, health care etc. The “parent of alternate residence” is then given parenting time according to an agreed on schedule or on a reasonable basis. These rights may be subject to supervision or may even be revoked if allegations of neglect or abuse are made against the alternate parent.
What Child Custody Arrangement Works For Your Family?
Some families choose shared parenting custody agreements. In such cases, the child spends an equal amount of time living with both parents, providing the parents can prove to be cooperative with each other, and make joint decisions in the child’s best interest.