What factors will a judge consider when deciding child custody issues?

When determining child custody issues, a judge has many different options. For instance, the judge can decide to give both parents shared physical custody, sole custody to one parent and custody visitation. However, before the judge makes any determination, they examine many different factors for an indication of who is the most stable parent. In other words, the judge is looking at factors which indicate what’s in the child’s best interest.

Factors regarding the children include their age, mental and physical health and gender. For children old enough to decide who they want to live with, a judge will ask for their opinion. The most important factor is the emotion bond the children have with either parent. The judge may decide the parent with the strongest emotional bond with the child will help with parenting.

The judge also looks at each parent. So, the judge uses a variety of factors such as the parent’s lifestyle and any history of child abuse. Each parent’s mental and physical health is also considered. In addition to all those factors, the judge will examine which parent can provide the basics for their children. This means parents ability to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care.

Child custody is extremely complex. Thus, it’s best for parents to talk with a lawyer specializing in child custody issues. The lawyer will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type of child custody.