What You Need to Know About Child Custody Laws in New Jersey

No issue is more emotional, and more critical, than your future relationship with your children.

For most separating spouses, their children are their most important consideration. Often, the children have kept couples together long past the time they would have otherwise parted.

Our Red Bank child custody lawyers take our responsibility seriously when it comes to forging child custody and support agreements that are in the best interests of our clients and their children. We focus exclusively on family law in New Jersey and use every tool at our disposal, including mediation, arbitration and litigation, to protect your rights at every state of the process.

Child Custody in New Jersey

The focus of the New Jersey family law court is on creating a workable, long-term parenting plan that respects the relationships both parents should have with their children whenever possible.

Types of custody include:

• Legal Custody: Provides the authority to make major decisions regarding a child’s health, education, safety and welfare.
• Physical Custody: Where a child will reside, and which parent will make day-to-day decisions on behalf of the child.
• Joint Custody: Generally splits decision-making and living arrangements between both parents. While such arrangements can be advantageous for all concerned in some situations, problems can arise when decision-making authority is not carefully crafted or does not anticipate future needs or circumstances of a child.
• Sole Custody: Limits one or more aspects of custody to a single parent.

Sole physical custody accompanied by visitation rights for the non-custodial parent is not as common as it was in the past, and is not a decision the court arrives at lightly. However, courts are given considerable discretion in arriving at custody arrangements. The only legal mandate is to make a determination that is in the best interests of a child (N.J.S.A. 9:2-4(c)).

Child Custody Legal Help in New Jersey

Child custody is such a critical and complex issue, that even parents who think they are in agreement are best served by seeking the guidance of an experienced child custody attorney in Monmouth County. Our job is not to add stress or foster disagreement. Instead, we work to remove emotion and focus on building a comprehensive  parenting plan that will serve parents and children until adulthood.

Seeking early legal advice is also the best court of action when it comes to building your case while protecting yourself from the intrusive nature of the court’s child-custody process.

Considerations of the court may include:

• Economic conditions of both parents.
• The parental home.
• A parent’s fitness and character.
• Presence of other household members.
• Criminal records of each parent.
• Existence of child safety measures and supervision.

Our Red Bank divorce lawyers focus exclusively on family law matters in Monmouth County and the surrounding areas, including Fair Haven, Little Silver, Middletown Township, Shrewsbury and Tinton Falls.

If you are dealing with divorce, custody or support issues, contact Dwyer, Bachman, Newman & Solop today for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 732-863-2463.