Unlike other types of divorce issues, there is no clear winner in a child custody dispute. Divorced parents with minor children will continue to be tied to one another long after the divorce judgment has been entered. If the parents end up damaging their ability to communicate with each other about issues concerning their children, then the future will be more difficult for both of them – and for their children.
At the Knox Law Center, the goal of our family law attorneys is to help our clients create parenting plans that will help them preserve parent-child relationships and raise healthy children. While every family is unique, divorcing parents need to put their children’s best interests first.
North Carolina has two types of child custody:
• Legal custody, which refers to the right to make medical, educational, religious and other major life decisions
• Physical custody, which refers to where the child lives
Legal custody is shared in North Carolina unless there is a strong reason not to do so. Physical custody can range from a shared parenting plan where each parent has the child 50 percent of the time to a traditional plan where one parent has primary custody and the other parent has visitation.
Respectful communication between parents is essential in crafting a parenting plan. Issues regarding the children will continue to arise after divorce, and parents must learn to communicate effectively.
To talk to a lawyer about your child custody case, please call us or fill out the contact form below.