Family Law

A child custody lawyer helps you settle guardianship and access issues with your partner after separation or divorce. Unlike other cases, a child custody case is very emotive as past issues in the relationship may come up. That is why you need an experienced child custody lawyer to help settle the case quickly and favorably for each partner.

Child Custody

Child custody is generally defined as the person who has authority to make decisions concerning a child. It is sometimes misconstrued to mean the person that the child lives with. While child custody is mostly granted to the person living with the child, it is not always so. In some cases, the two parents will have equal or shared custody of the child. A child custody lawyer’s job is to advocate for custody of the child while keeping the rights and welfare of the child in mind.

Child Access

This defines the right of a child to visit, see and spend time with the parent they do not live with. This is to ensure that the child develops a relationship with both parents. Child access is the plan that helps to determine access for weekends, weekdays and holidays.

Child Guardianship

This term is commonly used in cases involving common law couples. It defines the person who looks after the child. When both parents are unable to look after the child, the court grants guardianship to another person, usually a close relative like a sibling of one of the parents, or grandparents of the child.

Barring Child Access & Custody

In some cases, one parent might want to prevent the other from accessing or spending time with the child, for example, when that parent has shown violent tendencies towards the child.

Issues argued out in a child custody case include:

• Where the child will live
• The person to live with the child
• The person to spend holidays with the child
• Decisions regarding education, health care, religion, medical treatment, hobbies, sport, and entertainment
• When the child can spend time with each parent

Negotiating Child Custody

It is always the aim of a child custody lawyer to have the case settled fast and with as little acrimony as possible. The interests of the child come first including psychological and financial interests. A lawyer will advise for negotiations instead of a long court case. The agreed settlement is then drafted and recognized by a court of law.

You need a child custody lawyer to protect your rights as a parent. Our child custody lawyers at Sidhu Law will help you live or spend time with your child.