Custody & Visitation

Fighting for Child Visitation and Custody

When awarding custody and visitation, the court will consider a variety of factors including the best interests of your child. Protecting your right to care for and raise your child requires you to portray yourself in the best possible light. To protect your parental rights, call an Elyria, Ohio, lawyer of Berki & Nehr, LLC at 440-323-0687. We represent mothers and fathers throughout Lorain and Cuyahoga counties.

Our experienced family law attorneys will sit down and explain to you the differences between the various custody determinations including:

• Joint Custody: You may receive joint physical and joint legal custody of your child, where you share responsibility for your child with your spouse.
• Full Custody: Usually granted after accusations of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, this type of custody grants both legal and physical custody to one parent.
• Legal Custody: The court grants authority to make decisions about your child's healthcare, religion, education, and other important decisions.
• Physical Custody: A parent's authority to make decisions about day-to-day care for a child, including where the child will live.

Shared parenting plans

In most cases, the legal arrangement will be joint custody. Though one parent may become the primary residential parent, both parents jointly share decisions concerning the child. We act aggressively to make sure that your interests, and the interests of your child, are protected in these cases. Ohio law encourages you and your spouse to sit down during mediation and amicably agree upon shared parenting arrangements and child visitation. The need to foster a cooperative environment reduces the emotional stress and financial costs associated with a divorce.

If you cannot agree upon a parenting plan and child visitation schedule with your spouse, we will petition the court to make an appropriate judicial determination and temporary custody order. When awarding custody, courts consider such factors as:

• The needs and safety of the child
• The ability to serve as a custodian and cooperate with the other spouse
• The relationship between the parents, the children, and any history of abuse
• The wishes and best interests of the child

To learn more about child visitation and custody determinations, call the law firm of Berki & Nehr, LLC at 440-323-0687. Contact one of our lawyers by filling out the attached contact us form.