Child Custody Lawyer
Parental Rights Lawyers on Your Side
Having a child is one of the most magical moments in life for many people, but unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. Smith Legal Group is a custody lawyer specializing in child custody services in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV. Children do not always grow up in a loving, two-parent home because relationships do not always last. That can leave children without the benefit of living with both their parents, leading to a whole host of decisions needing to be made. Our experienced children’s custody lawyers will help you navigate the sometimes challenging process of child custody in Nevada. Learn more and get in touch with us today to request a consultation.
Understanding Legal Custody
When a divorce or separation occurs, parents find themselves needing to make many decisions regarding their children, including where the children will live, where they will go to school, how often the other parent gets to see their children, what religion the child will practice, how much money must be paid for the support of the children, and more. Our Las Vegas custody attorney is here to assist you through the custody process. Legal custody is the right to know about what is going on in a child’s life. Legal custody also encompasses the right to assist in making major decisions in the child’s life, such as those above. In the state of Nevada, most parents will be awarded joint legal custody unless there are issues involving abuse, drugs, criminal activity, or mental illness. Where extenuating circumstances are involved, it may be possible for the other parent to obtain an award of sole legal custody. Our parental rights attorney will help you better understand your rights and options for custody.
Physical Custody Lawyers in Nevada
Physical custody involves where a child will live. In Nevada, the two kinds of physical custody are joint physical custody and primary physical custody. Our custody law firm wants to help you learn more about these two options and will fight for your rights to ensure you receive fair treatment. Find out more about physical custody in Nevada:
Classic Joint Physical Custody
In a classic joint physical custody situation, both parents have the child or children with them for an approximately equal amount of time. Classic examples of joint physical custody timeshares include a week on and then a week off, 3.5 days on and then 3.5 days off, or Monday and Tuesday for one parent, Wednesday and Thursday for the other parent, and alternating three-day weekends for each parent. The courts will permit parties to enter into almost any joint physical scenario they wish, so long as the children are not negatively impacted by the custodial timeshare. Some Nevada courts have enforced mornings for one parent and evenings for the other parent based on variable shifts they may work. The state also permits parents to split custody so one parent has the children for four days and the other parent has them for three, even though the timeshare is not equally split.
Primary Physical Custody
This situation involves one parent having custody of their child for more than 60% of the time, with the other parent having physical custody for less than 40%. The parent with more time has primary physical custody, while the other parent has visitation. There are a lot of ramifications for parents when it comes to physical custody. Physical custody affects how often a parent sees the children, child support, the ability to change custody in the future, and the ability to move out of state. Many parents decide to take a “wait and see” approach, but child custody is too important to be left to chance.
Establishing & Modifying Child Custody
Smith Legal Group understands child custody cases and how custody-related issues can impact the relationship between parents and their children. We care about the outcome of your case, and our child custody lawyers will fight to help you get the most time with your children. Our custody attorney for families can help you establish child custody or modify your child custody order. Don’t let the court determine your family’s future without having help by your side.
Schedule Your Child Custody Consultation
We are proud to offer free consultations seven days a week because family custody situations can happen or change at any time. Smith Legal Group is here to assist you in navigating the many pitfalls of child custody cases and obtaining the best possible custody order. Contact us today to request a consultation.