Chase, Berenstein and Murray, Counselors at Law provides collaborative divorce solutions to clients in San Mateo, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties.

Child Custody: Protecting Your Legal Rights As A Parent

Child custody and the time children spend with each parent (often called visitation or time-share) is one of the most important aspects of a family law case. The “best interests of the child” is the legal standard by which child custody if determined, whether by a judge or the parents.

Many factors help determine what is ultimately in a child’s best interests, including:

  • The child’s age
  • Physical and psychological well-being of the child
  • Relationship of the child’s parents
  • Proposed living arrangements and stability
  • Developmental needs of the child
  • Input from the child regarding his or her preference, depending on the child’s age or maturity

Child custody and visitation can be some of the most contentious issues in divorce and family law matters. If the parties are in dispute, California family law courts require that parents attend court-sponsored mediation prior to a judge making a decision. Court-sponsored mediation in a contested court case is carried out in a time-limited and often stressful manner. Fortunately, there are many benefits to using private mediation, as well as collaborative law, in resolving child custody and visitation concerns.

Call our firm at 650-642-3897 to reach an experienced child custody lawyer.

Benefits Of Collaborative Practice And Mediation For Child Custody

At Chase, Berenstein and Murray, Counselors at Law, we provide our clients with a choice of resolution methods. With decades of legal experience, our attorney advises clients on the benefits of using alternative dispute resolution (also known as appropriate dispute resolution, or ADR) methods in resolving their child custody problems.

Both mediation and collaborative law allow parties to reach an agreement on child custody and time-share that works for their family, rather than having a court decide for them. Below are some of the benefits of these two alternative approaches:

  • More flexibility in creating a parenting plan and time-sharing agreement
  • Generally efficient and more cost-effective
  • Less stressful on children
  • Encourages more cooperation between parents
  • Allows children to have a voice in the timeshare plan in a way that does not put them in the middle

Child custody also impacts child support. Specifically, the amount of time a parent spends with a child correlates to the amount of support a parent pays or receives. Resolving your child custody matter amicably with positive interaction between parents can assist you and your spouse in reaching an agreement regarding support in a more productive manner.

How To Contact Us

Whether or not you decide collaborative law or mediation is best for your case, we can provide you with knowledgeable legal guidance. Contact our Burlingame office by email or call 650-642-3897 to schedule a consultation regarding your child custody or child support matter.