Switch to ADA Accessible Theme
Close Menu
Bucks County Divorce Attorney
Contact Us Today For a Consultation 215-968-6602
Bucks County Divorce Attorneys > Newtown Child Custody Attorney

Newtown Child Custody Attorney

Our Experienced Attorneys Are Aggressive Advocates for Children’s Rights

Child custody is often the most important issue to be resolved in a divorce or separation proceeding. At Kardos, Rickles & Hand, our Newtown child custody attorneys are aggressive advocates for the rights of our clients and their children in all areas of child custody, and we provide support in whatever ways necessary. This includes preparing joint custody agreements, challenging custody arrangements, and seeking modifications including change of primary custody or changes based on the relocation of one of the parents.

Types of Custody Arrangements

The term child custody actually refers to two types of custody — physical custody, which concerns actual physical possession and control of the child, and legal custody, which concerns the right to make significant decisions about the child’s life and upbringing, including his or her education, medical care and religion.

Parents can choose to develop their own unique physical custody plan. If they are unable to do that, the court steps in and determines which of the following four arrangements is most appropriate:

  • Visitation – A parent with visitation is permitted to spend time with his or her child, but may not remove the child from the custodial parent’s control.

  • Partial custody – The non-custodial parent may take the child out of the custodial parent’s control, and occasional overnights are permitted.

  • Shared physical custody – Also known as joint custody, this (or a variation of it) is by far the most common arrangement. In a shared physical custody agreement, both parents share time with the child equally or nearly equally.

  • Primary custody – In a primary custody arrangement, the custodial parent spends most time with the child.

Legal custody is typically shared between parents regardless of the physical custody arrangement. The custodial parent makes daily decisions, while both parents confer on more substantial decisions. The non-custodial parent may also be obligated to provide child support.

Determining Custody

Courts usually accept any reasonable custody arrangement prepared by a Doylestown lawyer on which parents can agree. When parents are unable to agree, the court considers the following factors while keeping the child’s best interests in mind:

  • Each parent’s ability to provide for the child physically, intellectually and emotionally
  • Each parent’s willingness to encourage the child to maintain a healthy relationship with the other parent
  • The child’s preference
  • History of abuse of criminal activity by either parent

Contact a Newtown Law Firm That Understands Families

Qualified, respected, responsive. When you need an attorney who is capable of achieving the custody arrangement you desire, the lawyers of Kardos, Rickles & Hand get results. Offices in Newtown, Pennsylvania make us easily accessible to clients throughout Bucks County, Montgomery County and Mercer County. For more information, or to speak with a Bucks County family law attorney directly, contact our firm today or call us at 215-968-6602.

Share This Page:
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn