Child Custody & Parenting Plans

Connecticut Child Custody & Parenting Plan Attorneys

Helping Clients in Hartford County, Farmington Valley, & Beyond Create Child Custody and Parenting Plan Agreements

Whether you are getting a divorce, splitting up with your partner, or were never married to your child’s co-parent, creating a child custody and parenting plan arrangement is an essential part of your child’s well-being. These decisions impact where the children will live, visitation schedules, and how each parent will contribute to their needs.

Connecticut’s decisions regarding child custody, child support, and parenting plans are based on “the best interests of the child, their ages, relationships with each parent, and the need to maintain safety and stability.” Because a judge will review how child custody arrangements will affect your child and their well-being, it is in your best interests to hire an experienced lawyer to protect your family’s rights. Klein & Babbitt, LLC has qualified Connecticut child custody lawyers who help you protect your children’s rights.

Contact our Connecticut law office today to schedule a half-hour telephone consultation and learn about your legal options.

What Factors Are Used to Decide Child Custody?

One of the biggest myths about child custody is that custody will “automatically” be granted to the mother or the parent who requests it. However, custody decisions are never automatic. Instead, many factors related to the children’s best interests are weighed to determine custody arrangements. Some of the factors that a Connecticut family court judge will review when determining child custody include, but are not limited to:

  • The ability of each parent to meet the child’s physical and emotional needs
  • Each parent’s physical and mental health
  • Each parent’s wishes regarding child custody arrangements
  • Whether there is any history of child abuse or domestic violence
  • The child’s preferences as to which parent they would like to live with, and whether they have the maturity to make such a decision
  • The willingness of each parent to encourage the child to have a healthy relationship with the other parent
  • The willingness of both parties to co-parent and maintain compliance with court orders
  • Whether either parent has tried to use manipulation to involve a child in their disputes
  • Each parent’s willingness to be an active participant in their child’s life
  • The child’s standing with their school, community, and extended family members

Hiring a family lawyer who can guide you through the legal process and advocate for you and your child is always wise. Contact our Connecticut child custody lawyers today to learn more about how the court makes its decisions and how we can help.

What Type of Child Custody Arrangements are Available in Connecticut?

Connecticut’s most common child custody arrangement is joint legal custody. Joint legal custody arrangements allow both parents to share equally in making important life decisions regarding the child’s education, religious upbringing, and medical decisions.

Physical custody refers to where the child lives. If one party has primary residential or physical custody, then the child spends most of their time with that parent, and the other party is granted visitation or parenting time. In Connecticut, the courts are inclined to grant shared parenting (50/50) for families that have two actively involved parents. The visitation plan can be designed for what works for your family.

Even though Connecticut family courts prefer joint legal custody arrangements, in some instances, one spouse may need to argue for sole custody. In a sole custody arrangement, one parent has primary legal custody of a child. When a parent is granted sole custody, they are allowed to make all major life decisions for the child without input from the other parent.

Even if one parent is awarded sole custody, the other parent may be granted visitation rights. When the court awards sole custody due to concerns about the child’s safety, the custodial parent may request that the other parent have supervised visitation.

Regardless of the circumstances involved in your divorce or child custody case, hiring an attorney to represent your interests is always best. Our dedicated legal team provides clients with professional assistance to help each client obtain the best possible outcome for their legal needs.

Can Child Custody Arrangements Be Modified or Changed?

Under state law, parents have the right to request that child custody arrangements be modified or changed if it is determined that there has been a “significant change of circumstances.” Visitation may also be modified if it can be demonstrated that the current parenting time plan is not in the child’s best interest.

Some of the most common reasons that can lead to a child custody modification include:

  • The family has changed the schedule and wants the orders to reflect their current plan
  • A parent’s schedule has changed
  • A parent’s housing situation has changed, including relocations
  • A child is not thriving in the current custody situation
  • A child is not consistently attending school
  • The child or parent is being subjected to abuse
  • There are factors present that jeopardize the child’s health or safety
  • The child or parent is experiencing physical or mental health issues that affect their safety or well-being
  • One parent is actively engaging in a pattern of parental alienation to try and distance the child from the other parent

If a parent feels that the situation merits a significant change of circumstances, they may file a Motion for Modification or Motion for Contempt.

Regardless of which side you may find yourself on, you would benefit from having qualified legal representation to assist you with complex legal issues. Contact our child custody lawyers to learn more about what you can do to modify your custody or visitation plan.

Why Should I Trust Your Law Firm to Represent Me in a Child Custody Case?

When you work with the compassionate legal team at Klein & Babbitt, LLC, we will help you determine which custody or parenting arrangements will help your children maintain safety and stability. We will also help you fight for a custody arrangement that works best for your children and future goals.

We are also ready to offer legal assistance if you need help enforcing or modifying a custody arrangement or parenting plan after the divorce is final. A Connecticut parenting plan lawyer will be happy to review your case to determine if a modification is in order or what other legal options may be available to suit your needs.

Our attorneys recognize that family law legal issues can be overwhelming when you are trying to deal with them independently. When you come to us for help with your case, we will work tirelessly to ensure your voice is heard and that your child’s future is prioritized.

Contact Klein & Babbitt, LLC at our Connecticut law offices by calling 860-735-0825 and asking to schedule a half-hour telephone consultation so that we can evaluate your child custody case.