Providing Custody Solutions For Your Family

Dealing with a divorce can be one of the most difficult transitional phases in a person’s life. Living apart from your spouse and beginning a new life can present major challenges, especially if there are children involved in the divorce process. The child custody attorneys at Shumate, Flaherty, Eubanks & Baechtold are here to help you through this crucial stage of the divorce process.

Kentucky courts are required to place the well-being of a child first when considering what is best for a family after divorce. This means making sure that children have the care and support needed for a stable upbringing. Toward that end, courts will examine a number of factors to determine whether a parent is suitable to have sole or joint custody of a child. Factors that will be considered include:

• Whether there are any signs of neglect or abuse
• Signs of alcoholism or drug use by a parent
• Whether a parent is in the military or working abroad
• Whether a parent is incarcerated

Unlike some aspects of divorce that can be resolved quickly and amicably, raising a child requires years of commitment by both parents. In most cases, a court will try to ensure that a child gets love, support and relatively equal time spent with both parents, assuming it is determined to be beneficial for the child.

Creating A Time-Sharing Schedule

In order to help divide time and share responsibilities, a court may require a time-sharing schedule to determine living arrangements. In cases where former spouses are willing to cooperate, time-sharing may be a fairly straightforward process that can be negotiated amicably. A child custody, support and property settlement agreement determines a number of things, including who gets to see the children during:

• Holidays
• Summer breaks
• Weekends
• After-school activities

Make Sure Your Rights Are Protected

Even if you believe that your former spouse will be cooperative when creating an agreement, it’s important to have your rights represented. Other factors like grandparents’ visitation rights may need to be negotiated, mediated or determined by a court during the process. If you are going through a divorce in Richmond, Madison County, or surrounding counties, turn to our skilled firm.

Email Shumate, Flaherty, Eubanks & Baechtold or call 859-353-0878 for a free consultation with compassionate, experienced child custody lawyers.