Child Custody and Visitation issues can be extremely
complicated. These issues can occur before, during,
or after a divorce, including situations in which
the parents or the child's guardians never entered
into a legal marriage.
Tremendous strain can be
placed not only the parents, but also the children, in child custody
and child visitation circumstances.
The Law Office of
Gail Cheatwood, P.A.,
understands the burden that Child Custody and Visitation issues can
bring upon individuals, and we possess the legal skills to handle
these types of delicate legal matters.
Residence and contact issues typically
arise in proceedings involving dissolution of marriage,
annulment,
paternity and other legal proceedings where children may be
involved. In most jurisdictions, the issue of which parent the child
will reside, called the primary residential parent, is determined in
accordance with the best interests of the child standard.
Contact
an experienced Lakeland Child Custody Attorney & Lawyer
at
The Law Office of
Gail Cheatwood, P.A.,
by calling
(863) 686-0975,
and schedule a confidential consultation.
Gail Cheatwood
has successfully represented many Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow,
or Polk County Florida area residents in Child Custody,
Visitation, and
other Divorce and Family Law legal issues and disputes.
Family law proceedings which involve
issues of residence and contact often generate the most child
custody and visitation disputes. It
is not uncommon for one parent to accuse the other of trying to
"turn" the child(ren) against the other or allege some form of
emotional, physical, or even sexual abuse by the other parent to disrupt the parent's
contact or communication with the child(ren). Cases of parents
removing children from the jurisdiction in violation of court
orders, so as to frustrate the other parent's contact with the
children, are not unusual.
Custody and Shared
Parenting:
In recent years, shared parental
responsibility for the care, custody and control of a
child has been
ordered by a given court. Although one parent may be awarded
"primary residential parent", both of the parents retain full
parental rights and responsibilities with respect to their children.
This allows both parents to have equal say in major decisions while
fully discussing issues relating to their children, after each of
the parent's concerns have been expressed.
If you are involved in a
child custody or visitation
dispute in
Lakeland,
Winter Haven, Bartow,
or Polk County Florida,
contact an experienced
child custody attorney & lawyer at
The Law Office of
Gail Cheatwood, P.A., today
by calling
(863) 686-0975.
In certain situations, each parent may
have an equal right to be declared the primary residential custodian of
the minor child. The Court makes a ruling with regard to what it
deems is in the best interests and welfare of the minor child. The
Court will take into account various factors it believes will
directly affect the welfare of the minor child in determining which
parent will be the primary residential parent. One factor the courts
often consider is which parent is more likely to allow contact
between the secondary residential parent and the child. A parent who
is less willing to allow visitation between the child and secondary
residential parent could do more harm for the child's best interests
than good.
If you have questions
or concerns regarding
child custody - visitation
issues in
Lakeland,
Winter Haven, Bartow,
or Polk County Florida,
contact an experienced
child custody - visitation attorney & lawyer at
The Law Office of
Gail Cheatwood, P.A., today
by calling
(863) 686-0975.
Other issues which may need to be addressed in child
custody and visitation disputes may include, but are not limited
to:
Child Support:
every child has the right to be supported by both parents. Parents
cannot usually contract away child support. The courts look to the
best interest of the child standard.
Modifications of
child support, child custody, and visitation:
On occasion, the parties may need to modify child support,
child custody, and visitation. Again, the parties have
certain rights but so do the children that benefit from the
modifications.
Paternity:
fathers have rights too. A father of a child, not born in wedlock
may have rights for visitation, custody, and provide
support for his
child.
If you
would like to schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced
Lakeland
Child Custody - Visitation Attorney
& Lawyer who proudly serves the
Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow,
or Polk County Florida
area, contact
The Law Office of
Gail Cheatwood, P.A.,
by calling
(863) 686-0975
or by email by filling out our confidential
case submission form.
