Who did what, who is right, who is wrong, who gets this, who gets that — these are the questions of divorce. No one ever said divorce would be easy. But what many have said, and what might be the best piece of advice about divorce you’ll ever receive, is this: If you can keep the kids out of court — do it.
At Bain Sheldon, our Richmond child custody lawyers are experienced and compassionate advocates for parents throughout Central Virginia. We help our clients resolve child custody issues through negotiation and mediation between the parents rather than in the courtroom. For your free initial consultation regarding child custody, support and/or visitation issues — call our Richmond law office at 804-282-8625 or contact us online today.
As a general rule, Virginia favors awarding parents some form of shared custody. Though, when appropriate, sole custody can be granted to a parent.
In Virginia, all custody and visitation matters are resolved under the state’s “best interests of the child” legal standard.
In other words, the courts will find a custody arrangement that best protects the child’s health, safety, and overall well-being. The desires of the parents will always be a secondary concern. In determining what type of custody arrangement is in the child’s best interests, a Virginia court will consider:
- The physical and mental condition of each parent
- Prior demonstrated parenting ability
- Each parent’s relationship with the child
- Stability of each parent’s living situation
- Any history of abuse, neglect, or parental mistreatment
- Any other factor deemed relevant
Our child custody attorneys in Richmond, VA will help you stay focused on the best interests of your children while you resolve the issues of child custody, visitation and support with your spouse. We will also work to get you through this difficult transition period in your life and strive to put you, and your children, in a better position to move forward with your lives.
You deserve fully personalized legal representation.
Ultimately, our goal is to help you get the very best results in your custody case. While collaborative and low conflict solutions generally work best in cases involving children, our Richmond custody attorneys are also prepared to fight aggressively to protect your parental rights and the health and safety of your kids.
We also provide Guardian ad litem representation on behalf of minors with interests at stake in judicial proceedings.
At Bain Sheldon, our Virginia child custody lawyers have extensive experience representing parents in a wide range of custody and visitation disputes. To schedule a free, strictly confidential consultation with custody lawyer, please do not hesitate to call our Richmond law office today at 804-282-8625. We look forward to assisting you.
