When married couples who have children file for divorce, the court’s decision must take into account the children’s welfare. It must ensure that its decision is based on the safety, comfort, and overall wellbeing of the children involved.
In some cases, the court might issue a custody order, allowing one parent to have full custody, or it may give both parents a chance to reach a custody agreement for the wellbeing of everyone.
Custody Agreements Explained
A custody agreement is an agreement between two parents who have filed for divorce on how to share custody of their child or children. This agreement allows the couple to develop a practical plan for raising their kids while they’re separated. The agreement must clearly stipulate all aspects of custody, including legal and physical custody.
If you’re not married to your spouse and you have a child together, you can still have a custody agreement–you just need to familiarize yourself with the current divorce laws in your state. In Virginia, there are several important Virginia custody laws unmarried parents have to follow when developing a custody agreement.
If you’re not sure what the law says about custody agreements in Virginia, you should engage an experienced divorce lawyer. Fortunately, Coastal Virginia Law has qualified and experienced divorce attorneys that can help. Your Virginia Beach child custody lawyer will advise you on the important elements of a custody agreement, including holidays, notifications, activities, telephone contacts, vacations, and more.
A custody agreement should define every aspect of rearing children so that each parent understands exactly what they’re expected to do. If it’s shared custody, the custody agreement should stipulate how many days each parent should have the child.
Why You Should Opt for a Custody Agreement
There are many reasons why many couples opt for a custody agreement when they divorce. First of all, this agreement gives you the final say in what’s best for your child. If you leave it to the court to issue a custody order, you might end up losing certain privileges.
Because you, as a parent, know what’s best for your child, you should sit down with your partner and come up with a viable plan for raising the child together even when you’re separated. This allows you to ensure that your desires will be taken into consideration.
A custody agreement also prevents you from undergoing a long and wearisome court battle. In most instances, child custody cases last for about six months to complete. These cases usually involve a lot of back and forth, leaving you drained–both emotionally and financially. You can avoid this experience by creating a custody agreement with your spouse; you just need to involve a qualified attorney in the process to ensure that everything you include in the agreement is lawful.
Often, you can reach an amicable agreement with your spouse without spending a lot of money along the way–all you’ll have to pay for is the mediator or attorney who assists you with your negotiations.
What Is Contained in a Child Custody Agreement?
As mentioned above, a child custody agreement should cover all aspects of raising a child while ensuring that the wellbeing of the child and each parent is taken into consideration. For instance, your custody agreement should clearly set a custody and visitation schedule, including schedules for holidays, vacations, weekends, etc.
It should also outline what each parent should contribute to the child’s upbringing. Unlike a custody order, which is given by the court, a custody agreement gives parents a chance to discuss what their child needs and what each parent should contribute, according to their current financial standing.
Your child custody agreement must provide detailed child support information, outlining the amount of money each parent is supposed to contribute towards raising the child. This information includes the current income of each parent and the percentage of time they spend with the child. Your child custody Virginia Beach lawyer will advise you on anything else you need to include in your custody agreement.
Final Thoughts
Designing a professional custody agreement on your own can be overwhelming because you have to evaluate every possible scenario while applying airtight child custody legal jargon. So, be sure to get help from an experienced lawyer at Coastal Virginia Law Firm!