When the parents of a child or children are no longer in a relationship, married, or were never in a relationship to start, the question of child custody often arises. These days, many families work out their own child custody plans and simply have the order signed by a judge in court.
However, a large number of families find it difficult to work together to formulate a plan, or are otherwise unable to work with their child’s other parent to come to a custody agreement. When this happens, the courts must step in to make a decision regarding a custody plan that’s in the best interests of the children. Continue reading to learn more about Indiana child custody laws.
Legal custody agreements refer to the decisions made regarding the child’s upbringing. Such decisions might include what religion the children are raised in, where they go to school, what after-school activities they participate in, and all medical decisions that may need to be made, to name a few.
Indiana family courts strongly encourage parents to share legal custody of their children, which means that both parents will have an equal say in regards to how their child is raised. However, if the court finds that one parent is unfit in this regard, sole legal custody may be awarded to the other parent.
Physical custody refers to the location where the children primarily reside. The Indiana family courts encourage families to participate in shared physical custody, in which the children spend 50 percent of their time with each parent. This is known as a shared custody agreement.
Partial physical custody is a little more common than shared custody, as this includes the children primarily residing with one parent and spending maybe a couple of weekday overnights and weekends with their other parent.
Sole physical custody means that one parent has the children all of the time, and the other parent only has visitation. This visitation can be supervised or unsupervised depending on the circumstances of your case.
It is important to note that you and your family can create a parenting plan on your own prior to going to court. If you and your child’s other parent can work together to formulate a custody plan that continues to prioritize the best interests of the children you share, the courts can then simply sign off on the order and it will then be a legally binding child custody order.
If you have additional questions about how child custody works in Indiana, or for help with your child custody case, reach out to a compassionate Terre Haute family lawyer at Rowdy G. Williams Law Firm.
We provide families in need with a free consultation to further discuss the details of your impending child custody case. You can take advantage of this opportunity by giving our office a call at 1-812-232-7400 or visiting our website.
Our lawyers are skillful professionals in many practice areas including but not limited to: criminal defense, bankruptcy, civil litigation, divorce, and child custody law. They will give each case the attention needed to bring you a positive outcome. Rowdy Williams can provide the aggressive legal representation that you need. He has a proven track record and having him on your side may make the difference in your case.... View full business profile here: Rowdy G. Williams Law Firm P.C.
