Home / Little Rock Child Custody Lawyer
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When a family goes through a divorce, appointing child custody can be challenging. The court will consider many facets before deciding who will provide child support. In some cases, both parents might decide to do joint custody.

Hiring a Family Law attorney can provide an excellent legal representation. If your best interests are not met in a child custody case, our child custody attorneys can help you. Our Family Lawyer has extensive years of successful experience representing clients in Family Law cases. Call The Law Office of Geoffrey D. Kearney, PLLC at (870) 376-3068 or send an email at GDK@gdkpllc.com for a free initial consultation.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE AN ARKANSAS CHILD CUSTODY LAWYER

Hiring child custody lawyers can be beneficial for both parents. Child custody attorneys are knowledgeable in family law. They also have years of experience handling similar cases.

When choosing a child custody attorney to defend your case, always consider their years of experience. Our Little Rock child custody attorneys have vast years of proven experience handling child custody issues. Our law firm was able to help many Arkansas families going through a divorce. We provide legal advice that can help you win your case.

UNDERSTANDING CHILD CUSTODY LAWS IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

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In Little Rock, AR, when both parents decide to divorce, the court will create a court order for child custody. When both parents agree on a custody agreement, they can submit this to the court for confirmation.

However, not all situations are like this. In some cases, both parents don't agree on a custody agreement. In this case, the court will determine several factors on who will take the child.

The following are a few examples of what a judge will assess before deciding on child custody.

  • The child's inclination to a particular parent
  • The parent's home environment
  • The parent's work setup and schedule
  • The parent's financial capabilities
  • The mental and physical well-being of a parent
  • The psychological and physical well-being of the child

Both parents can set up custody visitation schedules or attend several occasions with their children. It is essential to be clear when creating a custody agreement.

TYPES OF CUSTODY THAT ARKANSAS CHILD CUSTODY LAW ALLOWS

The state of Arkansas has two types of custody for divorced parents. These are joint custody and primary physical custody.

Primary physical custody is when a child will live with only one parent. Depending on the custody agreement, the other parent may visit the child occasionally. They can create a visitation schedule for this kind of custody.

However, if the other parent has previous criminal convictions, they may not gain custody of their child. In this case, the suitable parent will take sole custody of the child.

Joint custody is when both parents have equal right to decide and care for the child. In Arkansas, there are two types of joint custody. They can either be joint legal custody or joint physical custody. Both parents can create a custody and visitation agreement in this case.

JOINT LEGAL CUSTODY

When both parents are entitled to make crucial decisions for their child, they have joint legal custody. Both parents have equal weight in creating health, religious, and education decisions for their children.

JOINT PHYSICAL CUSTODY

This type of joint custody provides equal parental rights for both parents to visit their children for an equal amount of time. Depending on the signed agreement, both parents will decide who will take the child to an important family event.

HOW WILL A JUDGE DECIDE ON A RELOCATION CASE?

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The judge will emphasize the child's interest in most child custody cases. They will look at the benefits of a relocation to the children before approving the case.

Factors to be considered are as follows:

  • The judge will evaluate the reason behind the decision of the custodial parents to relocate.
  • The children's educational or college opportunities in the new location
  • The court will also look at how it will affect the visiting schedule of a non-custodial parent.
  • The judge will also consider if the child is at the right age to make decisions for himself.

A non-custodial parent may argue with the decision. If they can prove that the relocation is detrimental to the child's wellbeing, the court may favor them.

THINGS YOU SHOULD AVOID DURING ARKANSAS CHILD CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS

Both parents should avoid making these common mistakes when fighting over child custody. Committing these mistakes might hurt a parent's chance of obtaining custody of their child.

NOT ATTENDING IN PARENTING ACTIVITIES

As mentioned above, the parent who the child favors may have a higher chance of winning custody. A parent's attendance at an important family event might affect the child's decision. The child will most likely prefer a present parent who provides them adequate personal attention over the other.

ALLOWING NEGATIVE EVIDENCE TO BE COLLECTED

A parent found with degrading text messages, or offensive online posts may affect the parent's chance of winning custody. A parent undergoing child custody proceedings must be mindful of their messages. The court will favor a parent who has no history of partaking in a hostile exchange.

MAKING THINGS DIFFICULT FOR YOUR EX-PARTNER

Court judges prefer to award custody to a cooperative parent. When one party is making things hard for the other party, it may negatively affect their chances of obtaining child custody. To prevent a legal issue, try to cooperate in the proceedings.

SHOWING A LACK OF EMOTIONAL CONTROL

A parent with no emotional control will more likely lose in a child support proceeding. Judges look for parents who are emotionally capable of providing the best care for their children.

CONTACT OUR EXPERIENCED LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS CHILD CUSTODY LAWYER FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

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Child custody cases are an emotional event for both parents. Parents are fighting for their rights to take care of and live with their children. If your interests are not being met, our child custody and visitation rights lawyer can help you fight for your rights.

Contact our custodial rights attorney at (870) 376-3068. You may also fill up our online form.

Our child custody attorneys in Little Rock, Arkansas also represent personal injury cases, criminal defense cases, and estate planning disputes. They also handle prenuptial agreement disputes. Visit our practice area page for more information.

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