Morris County Child Custody & Visitation Lawyers

Helping Parents Get Fair Visitation Time With Their Kids

Child custody can be one of the most difficult and emotionally charged aspects of the divorce process. As an involved, loving parent, you want to do what you believe is best for your child. This often conflicts with your emotions and the other parent’s wishes, especially during a contentious divorce. Having the guidance of trusted child custody attorneys to help you find clarity and make informed decisions can make all the difference in how this issue is resolved. This is why it’s highly recommended that you seek legal counsel before making important decisions in your child custody case.

At Edens Law Group, LLC, the majority of our practice is devoted to divorce and family law. While we are committed to helping families preserve the relationships that matter most, we are fully prepared to employ aggressive litigation strategies to protect your parenting rights and preserve your children’s best interests. Our personalized service is backed by more than 55 years of combined legal experience, and we want you to benefit from our decades of practice in family law. Contact us to schedule your case evaluation with our dedicated Morris County child custody and visitation attorneys.

What Types of Child Custody Can Parents Seek in New Jersey?

As you prepare for your custody case, make sure you know which custody arrangement you’re interested in when it comes to legal and physical custody. The type of custody you’re granted will determine how much time you get with your child and how involved you can be in their life once the case is over.

First, you’ll need to decide if you want to pursue sole or joint physical custody. This is important because physical custody determines which parent the child lives with. If you pursue joint physical custody, you and the child’s other parent will have equal responsibility for meeting the child’s needs regarding hygiene, education, medical care, and safety. To allow for this shared responsibility, your child will live with each parent for a specific amount of time, depending on the schedule you agree on. For example, your child might live with you for half the week and then go to their other parent’s house for the other half, or you might alternate weeks.

If you don’t want to share physical custody with your former spouse, you can seek sole custody. If the judge approves this arrangement, your child will live with you and depend on you for the daily care they require. Their other parent may be granted visitation, also called parenting time, so they can stay involved in the child’s life. The parenting time could be regularly scheduled visits, such as every other weekend, or they can take place as the family’s schedule allows.

The other type of custody to consider is legal custody. This determines which parent makes decisions regarding the child’s health, education, religious upbringing, and overall well-being. In most cases, the parents are granted joint legal custody since judges often want both parents to be involved in raising the child. However, if one parent is abusive, neglectful, or absent from the child’s life, their primary caretaker may be granted sole legal custody so they can make important decisions for the child on their own.

If you’re unsure if you should seek sole or joint legal custody and physical custody, reach out to our experienced attorneys for advice on important family law issues. Our team is well-versed in matrimonial law matters that might apply to your child custody case, and we’d be happy to share the legal knowledge you need to get the best possible outcome. Call our Northern New Jersey office today to speak with our compassionate attorneys.

How Is Child Custody Determined in Morris County Courts?

Before you start your custody case, it’s essential to know that New Jersey courts favor a continuing relationship with both parents for a child as long as it’s in their best interests. So, unless there is proof that one parent has a history of substance abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, joint custody is a common outcome.

With that in mind, you should try negotiating a custody agreement with your former spouse outside of court, such as during mediation. Otherwise, the court will intervene, and a judge will make decisions on your behalf. When this occurs, the judge will consider factors that include:

• Each parent’s willingness and ability to cooperate with the other
• Each parent’s contributions to the child’s care so far
• Each parent’s wishes
• The child’s wishes if they are mature enough
• Any history of substance abuse, child neglect, or domestic violence

Whether you’re seeking joint or sole legal custody or physical custody, having experienced attorneys by your side throughout your case will help you get the best possible outcome. Call our firm today if you have questions about custody, parenting time, child support, and other common family law issues.

Are You Seeking Sole Custody?

Many parents consider pursuing sole custody of their children during divorce, especially if they were the primary caretaker during the marriage. However, it’s important to know that it can be challenging to get sole custody since judges usually prefer parents to share the responsibilities of raising their children. This means you can typically expect a lengthy court battle if your former spouse wants to share custody.

The exception to this is if you can prove that the other parent cannot provide a safe, stable home for your child. This means you will need evidence that the parent abuses drugs or alcohol, has a history of child abuse or neglect, or has put the child in danger. Proving these elements will require you to collect police reports, medical records, witness statements, video, and other evidence showing a disregard for the child’s general welfare. Our attorneys can assist with this step of the legal process, so contact our law office for help seeking sole custody.

Note that if you can prove that it’s in the child’s best interests to live with you, their other parent may still get parenting time so they can remain in the child’s life. If there is a concern that the parent could harm the child, the parenting time will need to be supervised by a trusted individual. If you’re concerned about the factors determining custody and parenting time decisions, call our office for a consultation to discuss your case.

How Can Our Morris County Child Custody Lawyers Help You?

At our Northern New Jersey firm, the first aspect of your divorce or paternity case we discuss is child custody and parenting time. The purpose of our initial strategy session is to discover whether you and your spouse are on the same page when it comes to the children. We will want to know your opinions about a prospective parenting plan. We will carefully review every aspect of your situation and act accordingly to help you and the other parent reach a positive and agreeable custody arrangement. Should litigation become necessary, we are prepared to stand up for you in the courtroom.

In the end, our goal is to help you create a custody and parenting plan that will accommodate everyone’s needs. With sensitivity, extensive experience, strong communication skills, and powerful legal advocacy, our Morris County child custody lawyers can help you achieve a favorable resolution with as little stress as possible. Call us today at 908-529-0353 to schedule your consultation.