Often, the decisions involved in dissolving a marriage are heartbreaking. Their repercussions last long after parents resolve child custody issues. If you are in the middle of a divorce and want to get full custody of your child, you must make careful reflection first. A divorce can ruin families. The heightened emotions can result in parents making tragic choices due to anger, fear, or resentment. And to secure the safety and security of your child, you may want to pursue full custody. In this case, you need an experienced Child Custody Lawyer in Ottawa to help you go through the process and obtain afavorable outcome in your case.
A Child’s Best Interest
Family courts in Ottawa prefer both parents to be involved in raising their children. Courts vary in their final determinations. But judges will try to rule based on the child’s best interest.
For any child, the divorce of their parents is a traumatic experience. And family courts know this better than anyone else. Parents who are looking to secure full custody of a child should show that other custody arrangements will have negative effects on the child. Without an attorney on their side, this endeavor can be quite challenging.
Child Custody Options
Child custody options can directly affect the rights of divorcing parents to their children. So when parents explore ways to get full custody, they must understand the following custody options:
- Physical custody. This refers to the right of a parent to live with their child. If the child spends time living with both of their parents, a court may award joint custody. However, if the parents live far apart, one parent may be awarded sole physical custody. This means that the child lives with this parent every day and only sees the other parent during visits.
- Legal custody. This refers to a parent’s legal authority for making big decisions for their child. Such decisions include education, medical care, and religion. If a parent is awarded legal custody, they can make unilateral decisions, which means they can decide how their child is brought up without the other parent’s input.
Factors to Consider When Seeking Full Custody
In parents who undergoing the divorce process, emotions tend to run high. They can act out of anger, frustration, and resentment, which can extend to custody arrangements. However, parents must move past such emotions and try to make a suitable joint custody arrangement. They should not pursue sole custody out of spite. Rather, they must take into account what’s best for the child. Sole custody is often pursued and granted in situations where a parent is proven to be abusive, unfit, or negligent.
